UR OBLIGATIONS 

TO THE DAY OF 

REST AND WORSHIP 



REV JAMES PATTERSON HUTCHISON 



.IBRARY OF RELIGIOUS THOUGHT 




Class ,_ . 

Book , 

Copyright^ 

COPYRIGHT DEPOSm 



OUR OBLIGATIONS 

TO THE DAY OF 
REST AND WORSHIP 

BY 
REV. JAMES PATTERSON HUTCHISON 

Gen. Sec. of the Mid-West District of the Lord's Day 
Alliance. Member of the Presbytery of Topeka 




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BOSTON: RICHARD G. BADGER 

TORONTO: THE COPP CLARK CO., LIMITED 



Copyright, 1916, by James P. Hutchison 
All Rights Reserved 



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DCC -2 1916 

THE GORHAM PRESS, BOSTON, U. S. A. 



►CI.A446660 
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CONTENTS 

PAGE 

I. A Call for the Defense of the Day of 

Rest and Worship 7 

The question, how to observe and defend 
the Sabbath. Need of an organized effort. 

II. Authority for the Sabbath 15 

Traces of the Sabbath in remote his- 
tory. Authority for the Sabbath in the 
Bible account of creation; from the law 
of our being; from the decalogue: The 
ten commandments perpetual. Authority 
from words and example of Jesus. His 
healing on the Sabbath. Scripture teach- 
ing on the Sabbath. Paul's statements 
about certain days explained. 

III. One Day's Rest in Seven 38 

Amount of Sunday and seven-day labor 
in the U. S. Sunday labor in the steel and 
other industries, and in certain states. Mor- 
al effect of Sunday labor. 

IV. Physical Result of Seven-Day Labor. ... 46 

The nervous system in bodily health and 
vitality. How it is damaged by seven-day 
labor. Oxygen in physical repair, and how 
effected by the day of rest. Dr. Haegler's 
diagram. Damage of fatigue. Six-day 
labor compared with seven. 

V. Economic Benefits of Sunday Rest 54 

Principles effecting economic results of 
seven-day work. Example of Jefferson 



CONTENTS 



Furnace and other companies. Post Office 
department. Cripple Creek petition. 
Horses in Chicago street car service. In- 
creased efficency of men because of day 
of rest. Incident of Mr. Major with ox 
teams. 

VI. Relation of Sabbath Observance to the 
Development of Christian Life and Char- 
acter 65 

Spiritual benefits take precedence over 
increased dividends. Time required for 
development of character underestimated. 
The Sabbath, God J s remedy for religious 
problems. Dying at the top. Answers to 
questions sent out. Facts resulting from 
uses of the Sabbath. Drifting from the 
Christian life because of Sunday labor. 
Sunday amusements. The drift from Sab- 
bath desecration to unbelief and paganism. 
Testimony of Justices Hale, Strong and 
others on Sabbath desecration and crime. 
Record of descendants of Sabbath keeping 
compared with non-Sabbath keeping famil- 
ies. Illustration of the garden. 

VII. Methods of Securing A Day of Rest 

Each Week in Continuous Industry .... 90 

The principle approved but not practic- 
ed. Blair Sunday Rest Bill. Three re- 
quirements: Organized effort; agitation; 
legislation. Model statement for Sunday 
rest law. The plea that Sunday labor is 
reduced to the minimum. Action of organ- 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

izations showing desire for a day of rest. 
Crisis now upon us. 
VIII. How to Keep the Sabbath 106 

Sacred requirements before secular. The 
Sabbath sacred. Where we gof in Sab- 
bath keeping. What we read? Medita- 
tion in Sabbath keeping. Illustration of 
a garden. The man who refused Sunday 
work. 
IX. Change of the Sabbath from the Seventh 

to the First Day of the Week 116 

Christian Sabbath in honor of our Salva- 
tion. Greek "Sabbaton." In New Testa- 
ment after resurrection, for the first day of 
the week. Testimony from early church 
fathers. The Sabbath around the world. 
Evidence that time of the Sabbath was 
changed in Old Testament times. The 
Holy Spirit has honored the first day Sab- 
bath. 
X. Plans of Work 126 

Action necessary. The work that 
counts. Utilities Commissions and others. 
The public telephone. Sunday mail. Sun- 
day stores. Sunday baseball. How to 
close Sunday sporting rooms. This work 
requires the support of special workers. 
Petition of Engineers of the N. Y. C. Ry. 
American organizations for Sabbath de- 
fense. 



OUR OBLIGATIONS TO THE DAY OF REST 
AND WORSHIP 



Our Obligations to the Day 
of Rest and Worship 

CHAPTER I 

A CALL FOR THE DEFENSE OF THE DAY OF REST AND 
WORSHIP 

"The Sabbath was made for man" — Jesus. 

"As we keep or break the Sabbath we nobly save or 
meanly lose the last hope by which man rises" — Lin- 
coln. 

"The longer I live the more highly do I esteem the 
proper observance of the Christian Sabath and the more 
grateful do I feel toward those who impress its import- 
ance on the community" — Webster. 

HOW should we keep the Day of Rest 
and worship, has been a problem through 
the centuries. These pages are written to 
help the reader to think, first of all, how 
he should observe the day so as to get the most out of 
it, considering all his interests, physical, moral and 
spiritual, and live in harmony with our Master. The 
fourth commandment is before us, "Remember the 
Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor 
and do all thy work ; but the seventh day is the Sabbath 
of the Lord thy God ; in it thou shalt not do any work, 
7 



8 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, 
nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger 
that is within thy gates; for in six days the Lord 
made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them 
is, and rested on the seventh day: wherefore the Lord 
blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." This com- 
mand is in the decalogue and it has its claims upon us. 
How should we keep it? Each one must solve the 
question for himself. No one can be conscience for 
another. Some do not regard it as having any binding 
force upon them. Perhaps they have not thought much 
about the subject, or have not been trained to observe 
the day. Others are convinced that it is the law of 
God, binding upon us as the other commands of the 
decalogue. Some have no settled convictions on how 
the day should be observed, and use it as those about 
them may lead. The question we want each one to 
ask is, how should I, situated as I am, spend the Sab- 
bath so as to obey the requirements of this command- 
ment, so as to please God best and receive and give the 
greatest benefits intended by it? This is a strenuous 
century with modern inventions, large corporations and 
fast living. How far should the Christian Sabbath 
bend to suit these conditions, and how far should the 
conditions be made to conform to the fourth command- 
ment. 

The reader is asked to think, also, how he should 
conduct his business or occupation on Sunday. Will 



Defense of the Day of Rest and Worship 9 

your business yield a larger profit by Sunday and 
seven-day labor, or by turning the key upon it Saturday 
night and not opening up for business until Monday 
morning? Some attend to business seven days in the 
week, while others, in the same pursuit, use the day 
for rest and moral development. Are they more pros- 
perous who attend to business on the Lord's Day or 
those who do not? And then our moral and Christian 
character enter into the problem; do profits increase 
by Sunday and seven-day labor to render an equivalent 
for the benefits of Sunday rest and moral development? 
Is it right to employ others in Sunday and seven-day 
labor so as to deprive them of opportunities of Sunday 
rest and the advantages of moral development that its 
observance affords? Can a person do more and think 
as clearly by seven days of labor each week, or by six 
days of labor and a day of rest and worship? What 
are the "works of necessity?" What is the minimum 
of Sunday labor in your business? What plan can be 
adopted which will allow the toilers who do the neces- 
sary Sunday work to rest and attend church? 

The defense of the Sabbath in the community needs 
attention, also. There are places where the sound of 
the church bell is blended with the noise of building 
and teaming and holiday sports of the children ; where 
places of business are open on the Sabbath day and 
people are coming and going with purchases from the 
stores; and their arrangements for social affairs and 



io Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

pleasure outings make it impossible to attend the public 
worship of the church. All because the people have 
not thought how they should defend the day in the 
community for the nobler purposes of rest and spiritual 
upbuilding. Historians tell us that crime and immor- 
ality follow Sabbath desecration. And from those 
places where the day is largely given over to frivolity 
and business and conversation about secular affairs, 
proceed a large proportion of persons of degenerate 
and criminal tendencies, and a small proportion of indi- 
viduals of the nobler attainments and ambitions of 
Christian character. In contrast with this is the com- 
munity where the Sabbath has been more nobly defend- 
ed for the sacred purposes of the day; where stores are 
closed and the people do no trading; where sporting 
and festivities are not engaged in, and the call to wor- 
ship is responded to by a people who have formed the 
habit of using the day for more sacred purposes. From 
such places go forth a large number who occupy prom- 
inent places of honor and usefulness, and the percentage 
of crime is very low. 

The situation today, calls for the attention of the 
people to another phase of this subject — to a united and 
organized movement for reducing Sunday and seven- 
day labor to the minimum, and defending the quiet of 
the day for rest and worship. A special and combined 
effort is required for this work. Leaders are needed 
who are specialists in this kind of effort who have 



Defense of the Day of Rest and Worship II 

studied the conditions and have seen and feel the 
wrongs of Sabbath desecration. We need leaders who 
know and realize the greatness of the numbers of young 
men and women who are kept out of the Christian life 
by this evil that abounds and are pushed down into 
godlessness and demoralization. The people must stand 
back of those whose souls are on fire with zeal for this 
cause, and who are able to plan and lead the movement 
for defending the day of rest and worship. The public 
mind must be instructed and the public conscience 
awakened to a sense of the wrongs done. Petitions 
must be placed before those who are in position to reg- 
ulate Sunday labor. Efforts already made prove that 
much can be done. 

As the Anti-Saloon League and other temperance 
organizations combine the efforts of the people in pre- 
venting the evils of the liquor traffic; and the Home 
Mission organizations are the effort of the people in 
building up the religious life in neglected places; and 
the Foreign Mission Societies unite the efforts of the 
people in carrying Christianity into pagan lands; so 
the Lord's Day Alliance and kindred organizations 
combine the efforts of the people in securing the bene- 
fits of a day of rest and worship. 

There never was a time when it was not necessary 
to make an effort to prevent the Sabbath from being 
crowded out. In the days when Jeremiah was the 
religious leader of the people, God told him to stand 



12 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

in the gates of Jerusalem and instruct the rulers and 
people in Sabbath keeping, and reprove them for their 
Sabbath desecration. In the days of Nehemiah, a cen- 
tury and a half later, he said, "What evil thing is this 
that ye do, and profane the Sabbath day? Did not 
your fathers thus, and did not God bring all this evil 
upon this city? Yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel 
by profaning the Sabbath." He then put forth meas- 
ures to defend the Sabbath. When God gave the com- 
mandments, including the fourth, to the Hebrew 
nation, He told them repeatedly, "Ye shall teach them 
diligently to your children, speaking of them when 
thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by 
the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 
And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine 
houses and upon thy gates." Many times the Scriptures 
record earnest directions to keep the Sabbaths. And it 
is held up before us that because they polluted the Sab- 
bath judgment was sent upon them. Always it has 
been necessary to make special effort to protect the day 
for its sacred uses. The people who have not made 
that sufficient effort have forgotten their Creator and 
in their blindness and idolatrous worship have paid the 
penalty of an irreligous people. Today, when business 
is on such a large scale that labor can scarcely cease 
with many for a day, and the attractions appeal to the 
baser nature as never before, we are in danger of allow- 
ing the love of money and the love of pleasure to rule 



Defense of the Day of Rest and Worship 13 

out the nobler sentiments by crowding out the Sab- 
bath. We need to think carefully how we can help 
in a united movement to defend the day. 

Never was the Sabbath so strongly attacked, or so 
poorly defended as in this commercial age. While we 
are directed to teach Sabbath keeping diligently unto 
our children, inscribing it upon "the door posts of thine 
house and upon thy gates," we find, instead, that large 
numbers of parents are bringing up their children with 
no instruction or example on this subject. They make 
the day a holiday with no instruction in the moral and 
religious life in the home. Many children see their 
fathers start out on Sunday morning with his work 
clothes and dinner pail to his work. Many others 
spend the day in sporting and return at the end of 
the day wearied with pleasure seeking. Some go to 
Sunday-school in the forenoon and leave the church at 
the close to spend the remainder of the day in carousal. 
They pass through the formative period of life seeing 
business, labor and sporting on all sides on the Sab- 
bath, and when they read the fourth commandment, 
"Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days 
shalt thou labor and do all thy work; but the seventh 
day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou 
shalt not do any work," they wonder what it means. 
Is it any wonder that multitudes are about us who are 
in a state of inquiry about the meaning of the fourth 
command of the decalogue? 



14 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

Attention is not given to this subject adequate to its 
need and importance. The writer has given attention 
to the number of books on this subject in the public 
libraries in smaller and larger cities. The result of the 
inquiry is, that no book on the subject is found usually, 
in the smaller cities, and those in the larger libraries are 
few and out of date, generally. Large numbers of 
volumes are found upon other subjects of comparatively 
trifling importance, while the Sabbath, which is funda- 
mental in the moral and spiritual upbuilding of every 
life, inseparably essential to the church and important 
for the highest good of every home, is given the smallest 
consideration. Is there not occasion for us to stop and 
think of the meaning and need of the fourth command 
of the decalogue? 



CHAPTER II 



AUTHORITY FOR THE SABBATH 

''Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." — The 
Fourth Commandment. 

"It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than for 
one tittle of the law to fail." — Jesus. 

"I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day." — John I, 

10. 

"Where there is no Christian Sabbath, there is no 
Christian morality; and without this free institutions 
cannot long be sustained." — Justice McLean of the 
Supreme Court of the U. S. 

"Laws setting aside Sunday as a day of rest are up- 
held, not from any right of the Government to legis- 
late for the promotion of religious observances, but 
from its right to protect all persons from the physical 
and moral debasement that comes from uninterrupted 
labor. Such laws have always been deemed beneficial 
and merciful laws, especially to the poor and dependent, 
to the laborers in our factories and workshops and in 
the heated rooms of our cities; and their validity has 
been sustained by the higher courts of the states." — 
Supreme Court of the U. S. by Justice Field. 

"The stability and character of our country and the 
advancement of our race depends, I believe, very largely 
upon the mode in which the Day of rest, which seems 
to have been specially adapted to the needs of mankind, 
shall be used and observed." — John Bright. 
15 



1 6 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

"Of all Divine institutions, the most Divine is that 
which secures a day of rest for men. I hold it to be 
the most valuable blessing ever conceded to humanity." 
— Lord Beaconsfield in House of Commons. 

"There has perhaps never been a topic on which a 
greater number of the wise and good have been agreed, 
than the Divine authority, the sanctity and the value of 
a weekly day of rest and prayer." — GlLFlLLAN. 

"Experience shows that the day of rest is essential 
to mankind; that it is demanded by civilization, as well 
as by Christianity." — Theodore Roosevelt. 

BRIEFLY stated, the authority for the Sab- 
bath is in the account of the creation in 
Genesis; in the fourth commandment; in 
Christ's acknowledgment of the Sabbath; in 
the continual reference to it throughout the Bible; in 
the evident need of a day in seven for rest and moral 
and religious refreshment, discovered in the physical, 
moral and spiritual nature of humanity as we read it 
in the Scriptures. 

The Bible account of the creation is written in ref- 
erence to the idea of six days for work and a sacred 
day. "The evening and the morning were the first day. 
The second day," through the six days. "He rested 
on the seventh day from all the work which He had 
made. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified 
it; because that in it He had rested from all His work 
which God created and made." Nothing has given us 
the week but the sacred day in seven. The seasons 



Authority for the Sabbath 17 

define the year, but no natural division has given us the 
week. Wherever we find the week of six days and a 
sacred day, we find evidence of the Sabbath. For a 
sacred day in seven is the only thing that defines the 
week. Humboldt says, "We find the cycle of seven 
days among the Hindoos, Chinese, Assyrians and the 
Egyptians." 

Traces of the Sabbath are found throughout history. 
The word "Sabbath," is found on Acadian tablets of 
baked clay, now in the British Museum, that came from 
the age of Noah, who talked with Methuselah, who 
talked with Adam. The ancient heathen nations who 
lost the sacredness of the Sabbath, and turned from the 
true worship of God, yet retained the week, six days 
and a sacred day. Ancient Egypt worshipped Osiras, 
the Sun-god, symbolized by Apis, the golden bull, one 
day in seven. The Sabbath was observed on the plains 
of Babylon before the Hebrew nation was known, gen- 
erations before the ten commandments were given on 
Sinai. The language of ancient Assyria has the word 
"sabattuv," with the meaning, "day of rest of the 
heart." (See F. Delitzsch in II Rawl., 32, 16). This 
should make clear that the Sabbath was not intended 
for the Jews only, as we have heard a few persons 
say. It was made at the creation of the world; that 
is, He made the world with reference to six days for 
labor and a day for rest and religious worship. As 
He made the world with reference to the law of 



1 8 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

honesty and the law of truth, so He stamped in the na- 
ture of man that form of being which requires a day 
of rest in seven and time to cease from labor and turn 
his attention to the higher truths belonging to moral 
character. Honesty has been for the welfare of society, 
for God made man with that law built into his nature. 
There never was a time when it was not wrong to 
steal. And there never was a time when murder was 
not wrong. When Cain killed Abel his blood cried 
out from the ground just the same as it does today, 
when that crime is done. The law of the Sabbath is 
likewise the same. Man grows just as weary with seven 
day toil as he ever did, and he is just as prone to for- 
get God and become demoralized and godless without a 
day each week for the study of the higher qualities of 
his being. The ten commandments define the relations 
which the Creator established between man and Him- 
self and between man and his fellowman, when He made 
the world. These relations never change. Christ said 
"It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than for one 
tittle of the law to fail." The heavens must pass away 
sooner than the nature of man would change so that 
continuous labor would not weaken man by weariness, 
or when man would not become godless with no day 
in the week for moral and religious purposes. Before 
the Creator inscribed the fourth commandment upon 
the tables of stone at Sinai, the same hand built that law 
into the nature of man in the Creation. 



Authority for the Sabbath 19 

Authority for the Sabbath, then, is on the same 
basis as authority for, "Thou shalt not steal," or "Thou 
shalt not kill." God made the world that way. Each 
nerve and sinew of our bodies is constructed under the 
law of one day in seven for rest. He made the Sab- 
bath law when He made the soul of man. He made the 
soul of man so that it needs a day in seven to give thanks 
and worship its Creator; liable to forget its Creator 
and needing to seek help. He created the Sabbath law 
when He created the affections in the soul, needing a 
day in seven to turn to the Creator and the nobler ob- 
jects which we should love, but liable to turn to baser 
things. When Jesus said "The Sabbath was made for 
man," He evidently meant that it was made in the 
creation of the world. It was not made when the ten 
commandments were given, but when the world was 
created. It was not for the Jews, only, but for every 
human being, and for the creatures under us. 

We have reliable authority for the Sabbath because 
it is in the decalogue. To realize fully that the fourth 
commandment is for our observance we should notice 
the place the ten commandments occupy as the law of 
God for our guidance. 

First of all, they are from God. Not because He 
gave them on Mount Sinai any more than for the 
reason that He made the world with these laws in the 
world and in man. The law contained in the com- 
mandments are written upon the heart of man. We 



20 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

know from our inner consciousness that it is wrong to 
steal ; we know that one day in seven for rest is needful 
and that we should have a day each week free from 
secular toil that we might worship God and develop 
our moral and spiritual natures; we know that it is 
wrong to bear false witness. The ten commandments 
only define the duties which were established by our 
Creator when He made the world. We publish the 
laws of gravitation; but they were established in the 
relations of things when the world was created. We 
publish the law which we find when water becomes ice 
at a certain temperature, the law of expansion which 
the beneficent Creator made when He designed the 
world. So the ten commandments only define our du- 
ties to God and man which were fixed by the all-wise 
Creator when He made the world. God is the author 
of them. The Sabbath was not founded but promul- 
gated by giving the law from Sinai. 

The fact that God gave the ten commandments is 
emphasized in the account in the Scriptures. "He gave 
unto Moses, when He had made an end of communing 
with him, upon Mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, 
tables of stone, written with the finger of God." "And 
the tables were the work of God, and the writing was 
the writing of God, graven upon the tables." The 
account of the giving of the decalogue emphasizes the 
extraordinary presence and authority of God. "There 
were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud upon 



Authority for the Sabbath 21 

the Mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding 
loud. And Mount Sinai was all together on a smoke, 
because the Lord descended upon it in a fire and the 
smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furance, and 
the whole Mount quaked greatly." The sublime pres- 
ence of God in giving the ten commandments mark the 
fundamental character of the precepts given. They are 
God's law to man. They embody all our duty to God 
and to our f ellowman. Nothing is left out and nothing 
in them is unnecessary. Many phases of duty are under 
each command. All rulers have laws for the govern- 
ment of their subjects. These are the laws for the 
Creator's servants. 

The ten commandments are perpetual. They are 
for all people in all ages. They are not for one people 
or for one age; but they are the precepts that never 
change. Outward conditions change, but the duties 
imposed by these laws never change. There never was 
a time when it was not wrong to steal and there never 
will be. Murder was always wrong and there never 
can come a time when the relations of duty to our fel- 
lowman will so change as to make murder right, that is 
contemplated, malicious murder. The nervous system 
built into man is the same forever; it will grow weary 
with seven-day toil now as ever and there never was a 
time when people did not drift away from God and 
righteousness without a Sabbath. In Psalm 148:6, we 
read, "He hath also established them forever and ever. 



22 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

He hath made a decree which shall not pass." These 
commandments are unchangeable because God is un- 
changeable and the nature of man is unchangeable. "Be- 
fore the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou 
hadst formed the earth and the world, even from ever- 
lasting to everlasting, thou art God." "He is the same 
yesterday, today and forever." "With whom is no 
variableness or shadow of turning." 

Not only is God the same for ever, but man is un- 
changeable in the relations and duties which the ten 
commandments define. A chart exhibiting the anatomy 
of the circulatory system of man in the days of Noah, 
if correct, would be as reliable for the surgeon today. 
The arteries and veins were located the same and car- 
ried the blood to the parts of the body. The heart 
has always been constructed as it is found today and 
has performed the same work of forcing the blood 
through the body. The nervous system communicates 
sensation and vital energy just the same today as in the 
ages of the past. The nerve cells have vital energy in- 
creased by rest and diminished by fatigue just the same 
today as when God gave the decalogue on Sinai. The 
muscles and the bones have similar elements in their 
structure and perform the same office. There is the 
same demand for food as ever, and no change has taken 
place in the necessity for honest labor, the right to 
property, the wrong of theft. Honesty and truth is for 
the welfare of society today just as they have always 



Authority for the Sabbath 23 

been. 

The soul of man was the same through the genera- 
tions of the past as today. Man has always had affec- 
tions and ambitions and responsibilities which are prop- 
erly directed by the ten commandments. Love to God, 
reverence for Him and worship of God is expressed by 
the first three commandments. There is the same need 
of guarding these immutable relations and duties, and 
taking time for moral and spiritual development of the 
soul. Cain envied Abel; Saul envied David; the rul- 
ers of the Jews envied Christ; we find the same thing 
today. The soul of man is as fixed as the body. God 
is the same to us and we are the same to Him. Love 
to God is as essential as it always has been; reverence 
for things sacred is the same; faith is the same. One 
day in seven for rest and worship is the same since 
the beginning of the world, because God is the same, 
and man is the same; and the relations between God 
and man stand unchanged. The nervous system de- 
mands rest, for it has ever been made that way; the 
soul owes it always to give thanks to the Creator and 
Savior, and take a day in seven to worship Him, and to 
be free from labor to give time and attention that we 
may guard these sacred relations. The ten command- 
ments which define these fixed relations and duties be- 
tween the unchangeable God and man must be un- 
changeable. 

The Gospel dispensation did not set aside the ten 



24 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

commandments. The sacrifices which pointed forward 
to Christ, the Lamb without spot, slain once for all for 
the sin of the world, these sacrifices were set aside, and 
the ceremonial rites, but not the ten commandments. 
Jesus said "Think not that I am come to destroy the 
law or the prophets; I am not come to destroy but to 
fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and 
earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass 
from the law till all be fulfilled." He follows this 
statement in the Sermon on the Mount by quoting from 
the decalogue. He confirmed the commandment when 
He said, "I say unto you, He that is angry with his 
brother without a cause" is guilty. "Do we make void 
the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish 
the law." Rom. 4:31. "Christ is the end of the law 
for righteousness to every one that believeth." Rom. 
10:4. "It is easier for heaven and earth to pass than 
for one tittle of the law to fail," said Christ. The 
word of our God shall stand for ever. When the na- 
ture of man is unchangeable and God is immutable and 
the relations between God and man stand the same, 
how can we expect the ten commandments, which define 
our duties in these relations, to pass away? Therefore 
the fourth commandment of the decalogue, the longest 
command of the ten, the central command, the key- 
stone of the arch which supports us in our happy rela- 
tions to God and to man, must stand forever. 

The words and example of Jesus give us authority 



Authority for the Sabbath 25 

for the Sabbath. When he said "the Sabbath was 
made for man, and not man for the Sabbath," and 
"The Son of Man is Lord, also, of the Sabbath," He 
acknowledged the Sabbath. He observed the day with 
sacred regard. We read Luke 4:16, "He entered, as 
His custom was, into the synagogue on the Sabbath 
day." This was spoken of him when at Nazareth, 
where He was brought up. We do not find a single 
statement recorded in which Christ denied the author- 
ity of the Sabbath or that it was set aside. He was 
accused by the envious rulers who had lost the spirit 
of religion, of breaking the Sabbath by healing on the 
Sabbath and by plucking the corn. But we do not 
understand these acts to be a violation of the fourth 
commandment. He never went after those to be 
healed on that day. There are seven accounts of Christ 
healing on the Sabbath, and all these cases were brought 
to Him or were in his presence as He worshipped and 
taught. In no case did he go out on a journey to seek 
and heal on the Sabbath. When He was teaching on 
the Sabbath in Capernaum in the synagogue there was 
a man "with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, say- 
ing, what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Naz- 
areth." Jesus healed him. 

The second miracle of Jesus on the Sabbath was 
immediately after the miracle in the synagogue. He 
went to Simon Peter's home. "They besought Him 
for her. And He stood over her, and rebuked the 



26 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

fever; and it left her." The remainder of the Sabbath 
was spent in quiet, until the time of its observance was 
past. 

The third miracle which Jesus did on the Sabbath 
was in the synagogue. In the presence of the impotent 
man they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the 
Sabbath day? that they might accuse Him. And He 
said unto them, "What man shall there be of you, that 
shall have one sheep, and if this fall into a pit on the 
Sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it and lift it out? 
How much more value then is a man than a sheep? 
Wherefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day." 
He answered their inquiry and their accusation by heal- 
ing the withered hand. Mark 3:1-5. 

The fourth miracle which He did on the Sabbath 
was, also, in the synagogue. A woman was in the syna- 
gogue who "was bowed together, and could in no wise 
lift herself up. And when Jesus saw her He called 
her, and said to her, Woman, thou art loosed from 
thine infirmity. And He laid His hands on her; and 
immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 
And the ruler of the synagogue, being moved with in- 
dignation because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath." 
Jesus defended His act by saying, "Ye hypocrites, doth 
not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his 
ass from the stall and lead him away to watering? And 
ought not this woman, being a daughter, whom satan 
had bound, lo, these eighteen years, to have been loosed 



Authority for the Sabbath 27 

from this bond on the day of the Sabbath?" 

The fifth miracle which Jesus did on the Sab- 
bath was when He went into the house of a ruler of the 
Pharisees to eat bread. "And there was before Him 
a certain man which had the dropsy." They were 
watching Him. He asked them, as they watched for 
His miracle. "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or 
not?" He healed the man before them and defended 
his act with a similar statement that He had made be- 
fore, "Which of you shall have an ox or an ass fallen 
into a well, and will not straightway draw him up on 
a Sabbath day?" 

The sixth miracle done on the Sabbath was healing 
the man who had been thirty-eight years in infirmity, 
and was at the pool of Bethesda. The seventh, was the 
healing of the blind man, when they asked Him as they 
passed by, "Who did sin, this man or his parents, that 
he was born blind?" Jesus healed him by anointing his 
eyes with clay and asking him to wash in the pool. 

These miracles of Jesus and these statements in de- 
fense of His acts of healing on the Sabbath, have been 
used by many to indicate that Jesus did not keep the 
Sabbath. And the accusation of the envious rulers 
against Jesus have been held up as accusations against 
those who keep the Sabbath today. But a careful read- 
ing of these accounts will show that Jesus did not vio- 
late the Sabbath by His acts of healing. There should 
not be considered anything wrong in such acts on the 



28 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

Lord's Day. And when Jesus said, "Is it lawful to do 
good or to do evil ? Is it lawful to lift the ox out of the 
pit on the Sabbath day?" There is nothing in His 
words intended to set aside the Day of rest and wor- 
ship. He evidently never intended to say that the fourth 
commandment was not to be observed, but approved of 
it by obeying the Sabbath and by stating that "the Sab- 
bath was made for man," and, "The Son of Man is 
Lord of the Sabbath." Fair minded people see noth- 
ing inconsistent in healing the sick as Jesus did on the 
Sabbath. It was doing good ; it was proving the divine 
power and mission of the Savior; it was extending the 
Kingdom of the Master. Of all the miracles Jesus did, 
only these seven were done on the Sabbath, and these in 
connection with his worship and teaching. He never 
continued his journeys on the Sabbath, but always went 
to the place of worship. These acts of healing were the 
only accusations that the prejudiced rulers, watchful of 
any acts of transgression in Him, could make in His 
disregard for the fourth commandment. Neither 
should any inconsistency be charged against the disci- 
ples for "plucking the ears of corn," on the Sabbath, 
when they were hungry. 

Authority for the Sabbath is found in numerous other 
passages of Scripture. From Genesis to Revelation we 
find reference to it. Neither the Old Testament nor 
the New lose sight of the fourth commandment. After 
the resurrection of Christ "Sabbaton," the Greek word 



Authority for the Sabbath 29 

for Sabbath, is always used when the first day of the 
week is referred to, and John in the closing book of the 
Revelation, refers to it as the "Lord's Day." Only a 
few of these passages need be referred to. 

"Six days shall work be done; but on the seventh 
day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord ; who- 
soever doeth any work in the Sabbath day, he shall 
surely be put to death. Wherefore the children of 
Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath 
throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. 
It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for 
ever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, 
and on the seventh day He was refreshed." Ex. 31: 
14-17. The perpetual nature of the Sabbath is refer- 
red to in this passage, as well as the sacred character 
of the day. 

The beasts that serve us need the weekly day of rest 
as well as man. "Six days thou shalt do thy work, and 
on the seventh day thou shalt rest; that thine ox and 
thine ass may have rest, and the son of thy handmaid 
and the stranger, may be refreshed." Ex. 23:12. 

Some may think this law may be set aside in a busy 
season or for other interests. There are works of neces- 
sity, but the rest day was urged in "earing time and in 
harvest. Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh 
thou shalt rest ; in earing time and in harvest thou shalt 
rest." Ex. 34:21. 

The sacred character and uses of the day is empha- 



30 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

sized. "Ye shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my 
sanctuary," Lev. 19:30 and 26:2. "If thou turn away 
thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on 
my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, and the 
holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor it, not 
doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, 
nor speaking thine own words : then shalt thou delight 
thyself in the Lord ; and I will make thee to ride upon 
the high places of the earth ; and I will feed thee with 
the heritage of Jacob, thy father: for the mouth of the 
Lord hath spoken." Isa. 58:13, 14. "Her priests have 
done violence to my law, and have profaned mine holy 
things: they have put no difference between the holy 
and the common, neither have they caused men to dis- 
cern between the unclean and the clean, and have hid 
their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among 
them." Ezek. 22 :26. 

Blessing and protection is promised to those who keep 
the Sabbath. "It shall come to pass, if ye diligently 
hearken unto me, saith the Lord, to bring in no burden 
through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but 
to hallow the Sabbath day, to do no work therein ; then 
shall there enter in by the gates of this city kings and 
princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding upon 
chariots and horses, and this city shall remain forever." 
"Blessed is the man that keepeth the Sabbath from 
profaning it." Isa. 66:2. See also verses 6 and 7. 

The judgment of God, is likewise declared, against 



Authority for the Sabbath 31 

those who transgress the fourth commandment. "If 
ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the Sabbath 
day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates of Jerusalem 
and it shall devour the palaces thereof, and it shall not 
be quenched." Jer. 17:26, 27. Because Israel pro- 
faned the Sabbath they were scattered and humbled. 
"My Sabbaths they greatly profaned: then I said I 
would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, 
to consume them." "I lifted up mine hand unto them 
in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the 
nations, and disperse them through the countries be- 
cause they have not executed my judgments, but have 
rejected my statutes and have profaned my Sabbaths." 
Ezek. 20. Nehemiah wrote in Chapter 13:17, 18, "I 
contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto 
them, What evil thing is this that ye do and profane 
the Sabbath day? Did not our fathers thus, and did 
not God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? 
yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the 
Sabbath." 

The day was called The Lord's Day, and was ob- 
served and called "The first day of the week," by the 
apostles after the resurrection of Christ. Acts. 20:7. 
"Upon the first day of the week (Greek Sabbaton) 
when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul 
preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow." 
"Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have 
given orders for the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. 



32 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

Upon the first day of the week (Greek word Sabbaton 
used) let every one of you lay by him in store, as God 
hath prospered him that there be no gatherings when I 
come." I Cor. 16:1, 2. John wrote the book of Rev- 
elation a generation after Christian work and customs 
had been established and he mentions "The Lord's 
Day" in Rev. 1, 10. "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's 
Day, and heard behind a great voice." 

Too little stress is placed upon the fact that the first 
day of the week is called "Sabbath," by the Scriptures 
each time it is referred to, after the resurrection of 
Christ. Some of the passages may be quoted in which 
"the first day of the week," is called Sabbath in the 
Scriptures, the same Greek word that is used to refer 
to the seventh day of the week before the resurrection 
of Christ. Matt. 28:1. "In the end of the Sabbath, 
as it began to dawn toward the 'first day of the week,' 
came Mary Magdalene." The seventh day and the 
first day of the week are both referred to in this verse, 
and both are referred to by the same word, "Sabbaton." 
There can be no other translation literally given than, 
"In the end of the Sabbaths, (The Old Testament 
Sabbaths) as it began to dawn toward the first of the 
Sabbaths (The first of the Sabbaths under Christ's 
completed work), came Mary Magdalene." There are 
reasons why the translators rendered the second "Sab- 
baton," the first day of the week. It evidently was to 
make clear that it was not the seventh day Sabbath. 



Authority for the Sabbath 33 

The Gospel by Mark uses the same word, "Sabbaton," 
in referring to the first Christian Sabbath. Mark 
16:2, "Very early in the morning 'The first day of the 
week,' they came unto the sepulchre." The statement 
given by the Holy Spirit is. "Very early, on the first 
of the Sabbaths, they came to the sepulchre." Luke 
uses the same word, Sabbaton, "first of the Sabbaths," 
Luke 24:1, also John, 20:19, in referring to the first 
day of the week after the resurrection. The reading 
of these statements conveys to the reader a very slight 
impression. The use of the word referring to the Sab- 
bath in the Scriptures must be studied carefully to un- 
derstand that the first day of the week is the Sabbath, 
by divine authority. 

As some say the fourth commandment is not binding 
upon us because Christ healed on the Sabbath day, and 
from His words of defense, that we should lift the ox 
out of the pit on the Sabbath; there are others who 
would construe three statements made by Paul, con- 
cerning certain customs that arose in his day, as mean- 
ing that the fourth commandment is no longer binding 
upon us. His statement in Rom. 14:5, 6, has been so 
construed. "One man esteemeth one day above an- 
other; another esteemeth every day alike. He that 
regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he 
that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not 
regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord." The 
apostle is not writing about the Sabbath in this chapter. 



34 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

There is not a word in the chapter about the decalogue, 
or about the Sabbath as a divine institution. He is 
writing about certain customs and ceremonies observed 
by some and not observed by others. He was writing 
about matters of conscience in eating meats. Today 
some give special reverence to Good Friday, Lent, 
Ascension Day, Easter, Christmas, while others in the 
Christian Faith esteem every day alike in respect to 
these days. But there is nothing for or against the 
fourth commandment in this passage. 

Paul's similar reproof to the Galatians, Gal. 4:8-10, 
has encouraged some to think lightly of the decalogue, 
especially the fourth commandment. A study of the 
meaning intended will easily satisfy anyone that the 
Sabbath is not set aside by Paul's statement. "When 
ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by 
nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have 
known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye 
again to the weak and beggardly elements, whereunto 
ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, 
and months, and times and years." Galatians was writ- 
ten to overcome certain Judaistic teachings. Some had 
taught them, "Except ye be circumcised ye cannot be 
saved." Other ceremonial rites, heathen and Jewish, 
were practiced by the Galatian Christians. Some had 
been heathen idolaters, and were carrying their pagan 
observance of days and anniversaries, which they ob- 
served, "When ye knew not God." It was not easy for 



Authority for the Sabbath 35 

them to give up their former ceremonies. In Esther 
3 7, we read of them observing "days and months and 
times and years." "In the first month, which is the 
month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, 
they cast pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day 
to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, 
which is the month Adar." They had "stargazers and 
monthly prognosticators," and heathen and Jewish fes- 
tivals, which they were placing with equal sacredness 
with the appointments of the Gospel. In denouncing 
these Paul never thought of the decalogues or the Chris- 
tian Sabbath. 

The only other passage so far as we know, that any 
have thought of, in this connection, is Colossians 2:16; 
in which Paul wrote of precisely the same controversy 
to the Colossians that was troubling the Romans and 
Galatians, referred to in the previous passages. "Let no 
man judge you, therefore, in meat, or in drink, or in re- 
spect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the 
Sabbath day." There were more than one hundred 
traditions regarding the observance of the Sabbath. The 
Pharisees and rulers of the Jews troubled Jesus about 
these meaningless forms in Sabbath observance. The 
Jews continued to observe the seventh day as the Sab- 
bath and the Christians observed the first day of the 
week. More than a century later Tertullian wrote of 
the controversy that was still on about the Sabbath. 
He wrote, "We keep the first day of the week instead 



36 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

of the seventh, because our Lord rose from the dead on 
that day." All that Paul advised in this statement was, 
"Let no man judge you," in these things. If they had 
a good conscience and followed it they should do well, 
in all the controversy about them, what they thought 
best they should do. 

There is a difference between the ceremonial observ- 
ances, which were connected with the sacrifices, typi- 
fying Christ to come, and the ten commandments. The 
first were to pass away when Christ offered Himself, 
once for all. The Epistle to the Hebrews makes plain 
what was to pass away and what did not pass away 
with the offering of Christ. But let us not be deceived 
into thinking that the ten commandments were a part 
of the ceremonial law that ceased to be required of us 
when Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice for our sins. 

No one can think for a moment that these incidental 
statements of Paul concerning the controversy in the 
early church about the ceremonial law and the customs 
of the times, were intended to set aside the Sabbath. 
Our authority for the Sabbath and the decalogue is the 
most substantial possible. It is in the plan of creation; 
it is in the Word of God ; in the thunders of Sinai ; in 
the tables of stone. We have authority for the Sabbath 
in the godly character and Faith of those who have 
observed it, and from the absence of these qualities in 
those who have not kept the Sabbath; from the ex- 
ample of Jesus, and from His teachings, that the Sab- 



Authority for the Sabbath 37 

bath was made for man, and that it was easier for heaven 
and earth to pass than for one tittle of the law to fail. 
It is written in the hearts of the people of God, and 
inscribed in the physical being of the race. Paul, who 
forbid his converts from observing the pagan or Jewish 
ceremonies, dates or customs which were to pass away, 
wrote to these same people in the same letter, "Do we 
make void the law through faith ? God forbid ; yea, we 
establish the law." "I had not known lust except the 
law said, Thou shalt not covet. . . . Wherefore 
the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, and just 
and good." 



CHAPTER III 

ONE DAY'S REST IN SEVEN 

"Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work, but 
the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; 
in it thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son, nor 
thy daughter, nor thy man servant, nor thy maid ser- 
vant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy 
gates." — Fourth Commandment. 

"7/ is as unreasonable as inhuman to work beyond 
six days weekly/' — Humboldt. 

"Resolved, That in the opinion of the Federation of 
Labor there is no necessity for Sunday work. The la- 
bor people demand, not as a privilege, but as a right, 
that they should have the Sabbath for their own use. 
It was made for man. Resolved, That we urge our 
members to continue their warfare against Sunday 
work, remembering that, if six men work seven days, 
they do the same work of seven men in six days; there- 
fore, every time six men work on Sunday, they are tak- 
ing the bread out of the mouth of one fellow work- 
man." — Adopted in National Convention, Dec. 
15, 1896. 

"Operatives are perfectly right in thinking that if 
there was no Sunday rest, seven days work would have 
to be given for six days pay." — John Stuart Mills. 



38 



One Day's Rest In Seven 39 

WHEN we consider one day's rest in seven, 
a subject that has received entirely too 
little attention, we must note the com- 
mercial conditions, today, that enter into 
the problem; what is the minimum of Sunday labor 
in these conditions? What economic benefits, do the 
facts show, result from the six-day plan compared with 
Sunday and seven-day labor? The need of educating 
the public mind, conscience and habits in the observance 
of a day of rest and quiet; how much consideration is 
to be given to the claims of a day of rest and worship 
because of its part in the development of Christian char- 
acter and Faith of the individual and of the children 
in the homes ? 

Those who have not given special attention to this 
subject have but little impression of the number of per- 
sons who toil on Sunday and seven days each week. 
In a city of about 35,000 population an effort was be- 
ing made to secure a law for one day's rest in seven for 
employees, with certain exceptions. Some said there 
were no persons, scarcely, who worked seven days each 
week in that quiet town. But a careful estimate 
showed that about three thousand labored all or part 
of Sundays and seven days successively. A large num- 
ber of hotels were in the city employing labor Sunday 
and seven days, and at such times as to render church 
attendance largely impossible. Public works of the city 
employed large numbers in Sunday labor, including the 



40 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

street car service, electric light plant, gas plant, post of- 
fice and public officers. Works just by employed a few 
hundred persons continuously. The Sunday news pa- 
pers required Sunday labor from many in publishing 
and distributing the papers. A large number of team- 
sters labor continuously. Many stores were open on 
Sunday, including not only restaurants, but confection- 
eries, drug stores and many other stores. Many served 
large dinners with dinner parties on the Sabbath, which 
employed, not only the regular servants but additional 
help, and ice cream dealers and others to be employed 
on Sunday. Many were employed in railway service, 
dairy, janitor, elevator service and many other forms 
of employ, while many labored voluntarily in their own 
secular pursuits, in continuous labor. So that it was 
found that about one person out of every twelve was 
engaged in work, at least part of the time, on Sunday. 
What portion of this was in "the works of necessity and 
mercy," each one must determine for himself. 

The Federal Bureau of Labor made investigations 
into the labor condition of 174,000 employees in the 
iron and steel industry of the U. S., and report that 
of that number 50,000, or about 29 per cent, were la- 
boring seven days a week. Twenty per cent, of the 
number worked seven days each week and twelve hours 
a day. 

From the report of the Secretary of the Government 
Department of Commerce and Labor, it is found that 



One Day's Rest In Seven 41 

from 90,000 workmen investigated by the department 
about 28 per cent, of them worked seven days in the 
week, and more than twenty per cent, of them labored 
eighty-four hours per week, which meant, that the work- 
men labored seven days a week and twelve hours a day. 
This was regarded by the Secretary as a condition of 
over work. We need not ask if these people who are la- 
boring in a steel plant twelve hours on the Sabbath 
day, are attending to religious duties in their homes, or 
growing into the Christian life. 

The state department of labor of New York sent to 
the secretaries of trade unions asking for reports of 
amount of seven-day labor among their members. 
Unions with a membership of 300,000, in New York, 
reported 35,742 of their members worked seven days in 
the week. This is about 12 per cent, of the members of 
labor union workers. And labor unions discourage Sun- 
day labor. A large amount of Sunday labor may be 
expected from toilers outside of these organizations. It 
will be noted, also, that the membership reported is 
about 28 per cent, of the wage earners of the state. 
The Minnesota state bureau of labor investigated the 
condition of labor in respect to Sunday work, and found 
that, in various trades, industries and occupations in that 
state, 98,558 persons engaged in Sunday toil. This is 
about five per cent, of the entire population of the state, 
who are employed to labor in Sunday and seven day- 
labor. In one county, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, 



42 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

it is reported after investigation, that 14,000 persons 
are employed to work seven days a week. In a large 
steel plant in this country investigation showed that out 
of 9,184 men employed, 2,628 worked seven days a 
week. Of these 85 worked over twelve hours each 
day, and 2,322 labored twelve hours each day of the 
week, or 84 hours each week. About the same number 
of men worked twelve hours each day for six days of 
the week, or a total of 4,725 men labored twelve hours 
in twenty- four, which was 51 per cent, of those em- 
ployed, twelve hours each day for six or seven days a 
week. The writer, in an endeavor to secure better Sun- 
day rest conditions in one of the largest steel plants, 
found from the books of the company, that on the Sab- 
bath preceding 1,120 persons were required to labor 
where the total payroll was a little more than 4,000 
persons; which is about 28 per cent, of seven-day toil- 
ers, of the total number employed. 

From these statements it will be seen, when these 
estimates were taken, that in the steel industry of our 
country, about 28 per cent, of those employees work on 
the Sabbath day or seven days a week and eight hours 
a day ; and about 20 per cent, labor seven days a week 
and twelve hours a day. In addition to this there were 
some who worked, irregularly, overtime. And in 
changing shifts, from night to day work, some labored 
sixteen hours or more, consecutively. 

To show that all this Sunday labor is not necessary, 



One Day's Rest In Seven 43 

the amount of Sunday and seven day labor was much 
greater in some mills than the same kind of work in 
other mills; and the amount of Sunday and seven-day 
toil has been and is being greatly reduced, with no 
apparent financial loss, but rather, with better eco- 
nomic conditions. In one of the steel plants the seven- 
day workers were about 20 per cent, of the total num- 
ber employed, while at another the seven-day workers 
were from 28 to 43 per cent, of the employees. In 
one of the plants there was a full stop of twenty-four 
hours on Sunday of the rolling mills, and the open 
hearth furnaces were not operated from Saturday night 
until some time on Sunday, when the steel was heated 
for the rollers to begin Monday morning. In the other 
plant, no more successful, the rolling mills and the open 
hearth furnaces were operated on Sunday and every 
day, at least part of the year. Blast furnaces are con- 
structed so that they cannot be shut down on Sunday. 
In addition to the vast numbers that are employed 
to work on the Sabbath in the steel industry, other 
forms of employment are being constructed more and 
more without "remembering the Sabbath day to keep 
it holy ; six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work." 
The affairs of the world are arranged for business and 
traffic and society and pleasure on the Sabbath day. 
The popularity of the Monday stock market has built 
up a large trade in live stock on Monday, which means 
shipment on the Sabbath. Large dinners, social events, 



44 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

excursions on the Lord's Day, all mean more labor in 
furnishing transportation, foods, baggage, confections 
and domestic service. Sunday trains cause labor from 
the firemen, engineers, conductors, brakemen, porters, 
and require multitudes to labor all along the line in 
meeting the train, and others to provide fuels and other 
materials necessary to run the train. More labor is 
required from the street car employees on Sunday that? 
on other days of the week. The Sunday newspaper, 
even a larger edition than is published on other days of 
the week, requires labor on the Sabbath or on Saturday 
night, and so interfering with Sabbath duties, in type- 
setting, press work, composing rooms, distributing and 
selling by trainmen, postmen, news dealers and news 
boys. The public telephone, telegraph, electric light 
plants, the open store and numerous forms of Sunday 
service, call for Sunday labor. And Sunday labor calls 
away from religious worship and spiritual development 
on the day divinely set apart for rest and worship. It 
is not our part here to say what portion of this work 
can be dispensed with on the Sabbath. We may justly 
contend that in all forms of continuous industry, Sun- 
day labor should be reduced to the minimum, and the 
sacred uses of the day be extended to the maximum. 
If we take the state of Minnesota as an average, as 
reported by the State Bureau of Labor, five per cent, 
of the population engaged in Sunday labor, that would 
mean the enormous portion of our people numbering 



One Day's Rest In Seven 45 

about 5,000,000 persons, toiling on the day of rest and 
worship, in the United States. When we consider 
what this means in the physical, moral and spiritual 
conditions in the individuals and in the homes repre- 
sented, in the future years, we cannot be indifferent 
to this subject. 

One of these men said, before he was employed to 
labor on the Sabbath he went to church, and gave 
attention to the development of his Christian life. He 
was raised in a Christian home. His father and his 
mother were active church workers, and brought him 
up to think of the better things of life. But when he 
began working on the Sabbath, he ceased to go to 
church, and found religious interest and moral life de- 
clined. For a few years he has been engaged in Sun- 
day labor, and has found a contrast in his life, in 
respect to moral and religious living, compared with the 
years before he began Sunday labor. He was asked 
if there is not something wrong about requiring a man 
to so labor on the Sabbath day that he cannot take care 
of his moral character and the salvation of his soul? 
He replied, "WE know it's wrong, and we feel it, but 
what can we do?" It is for the American people to 
think what must be done, and to do it. For he represents 
the millions of Sunday toilers in their loss of moral 
and Christian character. 



CHAPTER IV 

PHYSICAL RESULTS OF SEVEN-DAY LABOR 

"In seed time and in harvest, thou shalt rest." — 
Bible. 

"Our company does not consider favorably the ap- 
plication of a person who works continuously/' — Pres- 
ident Life Insurance Company. 

"I believe the institution of the Sabbath is one of the 
greatest benefits the human race ever had. I believe 
in the strict enforcement of the law that prevents servile 
labor bing carried on on the seventh day." — Henry 
George. 

BACK of the appeal for Sunday rest, or for 
one day's rest in seven, is the physical neces- 
sity. When man was made for six days work 
and a day of rest then continuous labor must 
do him harm. An investigation into the structure of 
the nervous system, and its relations to the healthy 
action of the other parts of the body, makes clear the 
necessity of a day of rest from the regular efforts of 
the week. 

The nervous system directs and controls the differ- 
ent organs of the body. Vigorous action of the organs 
depends upon the nerves. If the vitality of the nerves 
runs low the action of the organs of the body is weak; 
46 



Physical Results of Seven-Day Labor 47 

and if the nerves are full of vitality the work done by 
the functions of the body is vigorous and complete. 

Each nerve cell is capable of expansion or contrac- 
tion, according to amount of vitality. Scientific inves- 
tigations have shown that after rest brains cells have 
certain size and configuration. After long nervous 
strain and stimulation, cells are shrunken; borders of 
cell become irregular ; the nuclei become reduced. The 
nuclei, an oval substance within the nerve cell, are 
reduced sometimes as much as fifty per cent, after a 
few hours labor. The fresh supply of daily created 
energy gives out when you have worked so much, and 
if work is continued after the created energy has be- 
come exhausted, then the reserve force is borrowed 
from. After complete rest the nuclei and cell are re- 
stored to normal size. You look upon the face of one 
and see the marks of weariness. The sunken cheek, 
the dull eye and nervous action tell of nervous exhaus- 
tion. It is the reduction of the nerve cell which shows 
itself in the face and in the action. It is the lack of 
vitality and consequent lack of repair of the tissues of 
the body. The muscles quiver, the mind fails to think 
accurately and easily; the liver and kidneys and stom- 
ach and heart and lungs and all the powers of the body 
fail to do their work well. Poison is thrown back into 
the system instead of being carried off. The skin takes 
on a pallid complexion instead of the ruddy glow in- 
tended by nature. The worn out and decaying parti- 



48 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

cles of tissue are not replaced properly with new cells. 
All because the law of rest which our Creator has com- 
manded, "Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy 
work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord 
thy God, in it thou shalt do no work," has been vio- 
lated, and the requirements of rest and sleep have not 
been fulfilled. 

The rest of the night does not completely restore the 
nervous system to its normal condition. There is a let- 
ting down of the vitality through the six days of the 
week. So that there must be a relaxation for one entire 
day in seven, that the nervous energy of the body may 
recover. Shifting the energies of the body is relaxa- 
tion; unless that shifting taxes the nervous energies 
unduly. Dissipation may weaken. Over stimulation 
on the day of rest may weaken through other causes. 
The day spent in religious devotion is rest. 

Experiments made with a vigorous laboring man 
showed that during a day of work this man expended 
under the form of carbonic acid gas 192 grammes of 
oxygen more than he could inhale in that time. And, 
further, that during the night of rest and sleep he in- 
haled more oxygen than he exhaled under the form of 
carbonic acid gas. And that this surplus received dur- 
ing the night supplied only in part the loss during the 
preceding day of labor. He did not recover by the night 
of rest more than five-sixths of the loss of oxygen dur- 
ing the day of work. The experiments showed a con- 



Physical Results of Seven-Day Labor 49 

stant loss of oxygen by the day's labor in excess of the 
amount accumulated during the night, until by a period 
of rest, the loss can be restored to its normal condition. 
To prevent the depletion of the necessary amount of 
this vitalizing element, one day in seven of rest is es- 
sential. 

Oxygen is the vital spark of the body. If we invite 
it into our bodies in proper proportion, by obedience to 
nature's laws, it givesi tone and energy to all the body. 
It gives vitalizing power into the blood. It causes the 
food to become assimilated and gives strength to the 
body. It burns out decaying tissues and helps the rapid 
supply of healthy cells instead. The lungs carry it to 
the blood and the blood distributes it throughout the 
body. The world is nine-tenths oxygen. Its proper 
distribution through the human system means health. 
But the seven day toiler cannot have that vitalizing ele- 
ment in proper proportion in his body ; because he vio- 
lates the law of rest by which it is obtained. It is 
necessary to have a regular and complete day of relaxa- 
tion each week. Nothing can take the place of one 
day of rest in seven. Nothing can supply its place. A 
celebrated physician has said that, "The proper rest of 
one day in seven will increase by seven years, the dura- 
tion of a life of fifty years." What healthy nerve cells 
are in imparting vitalizing activities to the functions 
of the body, the proper supply of oxygen is, in trans- 
forming food, water and air into nourishment for sup- 



50 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

plying healthy blood, tissue and energy. 

Dr. A. Haegler, of Basle, Switzerland, has given 
much study and investigation to the physiological ef- 
fects of Sunday rest, and one day's rest in seven, and 
has shown the result of his investigations of Sunday rest 
as compared with seven days of consecutive labor, by 
the following diagram : 




The chart indicates how bodily energies decline by 
Sunday labor, and are restored by Sabbath observance. 
We are weary in the evening. Sleep restores almost, 
but not entirely, to the condition of the morning before. 
The rest of the six nights of the week restores in part, 
but not completely, the loss of nerve force, oxygen and 
vitality by the work of the six days. The necessary 
oxygenation in the body falls lower each day of the 
week ; the repair of the tissue is not complete ; there is 
some fatigue Sabbath morning; some poison has been 
thrown back into the system; some damages have not 
been restored. The Sabbath, with its quiet of rest and 



Physical Results of Seven-Day Labor 51 

spiritual refreshment, is necessary for making repairs. 
Sunday rest and worship permit the nerve cells, which 
serve as a storage battery for the body, to store away a 
supply of nervous energy required for the trying condi- 
tions of toil and exposure during the coming week. The 
day of rest in seven gives the lungs, kidneys and liver a 
chance to clear away the rubbish that has accumulated 
during the week of labor. If the Sabbath is not ob- 
served the rubbish continues to increase and the body 
declines as indicated by the curved lines. But by the re- 
storing rest and quiet of the Sabbath the body is re- 
stored back to the level of the preceding week. 

We can see how the Dean of the New England 
medical colleges can say, "The Sabbath is a hygenic 
necessity." Dr. Calmers said, "I never knew the man 
who worked seven days in the week without becoming 
soon a wreck in health or in fortune or both." The 
celebrated physician, Dr. Messier, said, "The proper 
rest of one day in seven will increase by seven years, the 
duration of a life of fifty years." We should not ques- 
tion why God has placed the fourth commandment in 
the decalogue, "Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy 
work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath, in it thou 
shalt not do any work," but from these facts, all of 
which are from careful demonstrations, we can see the 
reason. 

One can work eight hours a day with no extraordin- 
ary waste of vital force. But one hour of labor when 



52 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

weariness sets in wastes the vital energies a certain per 
cent. Two hours of labor continued under fatigue ex- 
hausts the vital forces more than twice as much as one 
hour of labor in fatigue, and more than eight hours 
labor without fatigue; and the proportion of waste 
multiplies with the time of labor spent in weariness. 
The Sabbath of rest is essential to prevent the condition 
of fatigue. 

One example might be referred to, which represents 
thousands of others, who have suffered from seven 
day labor. He was for a number of years a merchant 
in Colorado. He kept his store open every day of the 
week. For years he had not Sunday rest. When about 
forty years of age he began to break in health; when 
fifty he was pained much, and during the later years of 
his life he has suffered much, and walked about with 
difficulty. He has been compelled to give up his busi- 
ness, and pay the penalty for his thoughtless violation 
of the Creator's law, "Six days shalt thou labor and do 
all thy work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the 
Lord thy God." When anyone is so thoughtless as to 
violate that law his health will give away somewhere. 
The weakest point of the physical system will grow 
weary and poison and destroy the healthy repair until 
the transgressor is compelled to cease from work, not 
only on the Sabbath, but during the seven days of the 
week, or make but feeble effort at any time. 

Tests have shown that seven-day labor damages both 



Physical Results of Seven-Day Labor 53 

physical and mental powers, and prevents successful 
effort. We give but one well authenticated example 
here. A man, who has since become a successful busi- 
ness man, in his early manhood, was asked to work on 
Sunday, when he was applying for a position. The 
work was driving piles for the construction of railway 
bridges. The young man said that he would like to 
have the position, but he could not labor on the Sab- 
bath day; he was not brought up that way and could 
not conscientiously do it. The employer said, "Do you 
think we could let you off when all the others work on 
Sunday?" The young man replied that he had a per- 
fect right not to employ him, but he would like to try 
the position and put to the test the value of Sunday 
rest. And if his company of men did not do as much 
for him, without Sunday work as they did who labored 
seven days a week, then he could discharge him. He 
allowed him to try the work, with a company of men, 
with no Sunday labor. He and his men worked under 
exactly the same conditions as others who labored Sun- 
day and every day, but did no Sunday work. The re- 
sult was, in six months, by actual count, the company 
of men who worked six days and rested on the Sab- 
bath, drove one hundred and fourteen more posts than 
the other company that labored seven days each week. 
Proving, as it has often been proved, that "The Sab- 
bath was made for man." 



CHAPTER V 

ECONOMIC BENEFITS FROM SUNDAY REST 

"// thou shalt harken diligently unto the voice of the 
Lord thy God, to do all His commandments, . . . 
Blessed shalt be thy basket and thy store. . . . 
But, if thou wilt not observe to do all His command- 
ments and His statutes, . . . thou shalt not pros- 
per in thy ways." — Deut. 28. 

"A Sabbath well spent brings a week of content, 

And strength for the toils of tomorrow; 
But a Sabbath profaned, whatever is gained, 
Is a certain forerunner of sorrow." 

"Seven day workers are positively poor workers, lack- 
ing the vigor, stamina and character so necessary to the 
maintenance of a sterling manhood and womanhood." 
— Samuel Gompers, Pres. American Federation of 
Labor. 

THERE is every reason to believe that indi- 
viduals or corporations will declare larger 
dividends and build up better conditions, 
by the policy of a day of rest in seven than 
by constructing their plans for Sunday and seven day 
labor. A certain amount of Sunday work is necessary, 
which is used as an excuse for large amounts of unjus- 
54 



Economic Benefits from Sunday Rest 55 

tifiable Sunday work. Sunday and seven day work 
reduced to the minimum, as honestly and diligently as 
any other of the ten commandments should be observed, 
is the most profitable policy. The following facts and 
principles operate in making it the only safe policy. 

God created man for six days for labor and a day for 
rest and worship each week. 

The nervous system cannot maintain its normal con- 
dition of freedom from weariness, or its most produc- 
tive condition of activity with Sunday and seven day 
labor. 

More and better work can be done with six days 
labor and a day for rest and worship, than by seven 
days of consecutive toil. 

Accidents increase with Sunday work, and accidents 
are expensive. 

Contagious disease is more liable, and breaking of 
health increases with Sunday work. 

Seven day labor reduces strength and efficiency. Any- 
one can think more clearly, act more pleasantly, strike 
harder and more accurately when he has Sunday rest. 

To these another must be taken into consideration, 
which is not in the line of natural law but enters into 
the problem; and that is, Providence honors them 
that honor Him. The blessing of the Divine hand is 
for those who "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it 
holy." 

The working of these principles are invisible ; so that 



56 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

those who disregard the law of Sunday rest do not see 
how far they have fallen behind by so doing. They 
attribute the losses therefrom, to other causes, and pro- 
ceed to explain how it would be impossible to conduct 
their business with success without Sunday labor. They 
often are not convinced of the losses of seven day work. 
We find many are not succeeding well and make an 
effort to explain how they could not succeed at all if 
they would give up Sunday labor, while others are suc- 
ceeding better who actually employ no Sunday labor 
in the same kind of business. 

An example of this is in the Jefferson Furnace Com- 
pany, which was owned and managed, principally, for 
a number of years by Mr. Hughes, a man who had 
high respect for the ten commandments. With an 
increasing business he did not employ men to work on 
the Sabbath day. He arranged the materials and fur- 
naces with reference to six day turns, with no labor on 
the Sabbath. Others in the same business in the same 
locality employed Sunday and seven day labor, and con- 
tended that it was necessary for success in their busi- 
ness. The Jefferson Furnace Company, with no Sun- 
day labor, declared as large or larger dividends as any 
other furnace company in the vicinity or in- the state. 
More than that, the other companies in that locality, 
whose managers explained how it would be impossible 
to succeed without Sunday labor, have gone out of bus- 
iness, when Jefferson, with no Sunday labor, won the 



Economic Benefits from Sunday Rest 57 

business and succeeded. If the names of the firms that 
keep the Sabbath be placed on one page, and those 
which do not, on the opposite page, the contrast would 
prove the merit of the fourth commandment. 

The comparative profits from six and seven day 
labor needs careful consideration. It has not had ade- 
quate attention. The public have not been convinced 
that seven day labor is not profitable. Reducing Sun- 
day work to the minimum has not been studied. The 
average business manager has not thought any more 
of the subject than that he can see work progressing 
on Sunday, and therefore, they are gaining just that 
much. The invisible losses he has not investigated; 
neither is he convinced of the wrong that is done against 
God and his fellowmen, thereby. There are some, 
however, who have been persuaded to investigate. The 
manager of one of the departments in a large industry, 
employing over 4,000 persons decided to investigate 
how much loss, as he supposed it would be a loss, that 
would result from no Sunday work. He let off the 
employees on Sunday, figuring in detail the expense 
and profits, compared them with the seven day labor, 
and found greater profits with no Sunday labor than 
with seven day work. He thought it might be because 
of other conditions that the better profits resulted, and 
he tried it again, carefully figuring to know the profits, 
both by employing labor seven days and by the plan of 
no Sunday labor. The second experiment resulted 



58 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

with financial advantage by the Sunday rest plan. He 
has given strict orders, that no labor shall be done in 
his department on the Sabbath. It remains for the 
factory managers and mill managers and railway super- 
intendents who require their employees to make weather 
reports, car reports on Sunday and ship lumber, stone 
and every kind of imperishable materials, telegraph 
and telephone managers, those engaged in mercantile 
pursuits and many others, to calculate the loss they are 
suffering from inefficiency and accidents caused by 
keeping men at their posts of duty seven days in the 
week. 

The Post Office Department of our government made 
an effort by the petition of good people throughout the 
country, to reduce Sunday labor. Thirty-five thou- 
sand persons were given freedom from Sunday labor and 
about seventy thousand more had their Sunday labor 
reduced. Some, who had not investigated the material 
losses from seven day labor, thought the change would 
increase the indebtedness of the Post Office Depart- 
ment. But instead of increase of indebtedness, in less 
than two years after the thousands had been released 
from Sunday labor, the former indebtedness of seven- 
teen and one-half millions of dollars was entirely elim- 
inated. There was a statement from the Department 
that they had increased efficiency and economy, "because 
the men had a better mind to work." The federal re- 
ports show that in Belgium there were less accidents 



Economic Benefits from Sunday Rest 59 

and fatalities on the railways of that country after their 
national law requiring fifty-two rest days each year for 
employees went into effect. 

The ministers of Cripple Creek gold mining district 
presented the following petition to the mine owners as- 
sociation: "Gentlemen, we the undersigned respectfully 
and earnestly urge you to close your mines on Sunday, 
except such work as may be absolutely necessary 
for conserving the properties. And we beg leave to sub- 
mit for your consideration the following reasons: 1. It 
is a fact established by the widest experience and by 
every possible experiment, that men need rest from toil 
one day in seven. 2. It is also a fact established by ex- 
perience, that in the long run, month in and month 
out, man will do as much or more work by laboring six 
days a week as working seven. 3. Many work in the 
mines who are entitled to and desire the rest of the Sab- 
bath that they may enjoy, unwearied, the privilege of 
divine worship in the church, and many have homes and 
families who desire and ought to have the Sabbath for 
rest and the culture of home life. 4. Sunday rest is 
sanctioned by the best American traditions, by the laws 
of the nation and of the commonwealth of Colorado, 
and by the Word and commandment of Almighty God. 
5. Sunday rest is needful for building up the moral 
tone of all classes of society and of the workmen no 
less than of other classes. If workmen are to render 
faithful service they must be built up in moral charac- 



60 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

ter by every helpful influence. Among these helpful 
influences none is greater than the rest of the Sabbath, 
with the opportunity it brings to inculcate honesty of 
conduct and nobility of character. But, on the other 
hand, Sunday labor is an entering wedge which finally 
unsettles all regard for both God and man." In re- 
sponse to this petition the mines generally closed on Sun- 
day for awhile at least. One of the mines which closed 
on Sunday went back to the plan of seven day labor. 
The secretary of that mine looked over the books some 
months after the mine was again working on Sundays, 
and summed up the amount of ore that was shipped per 
month while the mine was closed on Sundays, and com- 
pared the amounts with what was shipped during the 
month of seven day work. He found that more ore 
was shipped when the mines were closed on Sunday than 
while engaged in seven day work. He reported to the 
manager of the mine the result of his investigation. But 
the men continue to toil seven days in the week, spend- 
ing the day in the damp mine and the evenings in the 
foul air of the drinking and gaming places. 

Years ago, when the street cars were drawn by horses, 
experience proved the wisdom of giving every horse a 
day of rest in seven. The street car company of Lon- 
don found that they could get more service from the 
horses and the animal would serve them longer by the 
divine law of rest. But employers of humanity seem to 
be slow to learn the financial benefits in observing that 



Economic Benefits from Sunday Rest 6 1 

law. A street car conductor in Chicago was gruff with 
the passengers. His surly spirit brought one of the 
passengers to remark in a kind way, "Your work does 
not seem to go well, today." "No," he replied, "I am 
worn out. I have not had a day of rest for months." 
He pointed to the car barns where the horses of the 
company were kept, and said, "I know that the two 
hundred and fifty horses that are kept in that barn have 
one day of rest each week ; for the company have found 
out that the horse will last longer and be more profit- 
able to them when they give them a day of rest each 
week; but we men — " He shook his head, and con- 
tinued, "We men are expected to work Sunday and 
every day. It costs money to buy a horse. But when 
we men play out they turn us off and hire another 
man." But losses occur from wearing out the man by 
seven day toil as well as from wearing out the horses. 
The lack of power in the wearied man to attend to de- 
tail, and lack of good will caused by compelling him 
or allowing him to disobey the Sabbath law renders him 
an unprofitable servant. 

Accidents and losses from carelessness figure prom- 
inently in causing Sabbath breaking firms to fall be- 
hind Sabbath keeping firms in material success. Acci- 
dents are the result of carelessness somewhere. They 
may be from neglecting complete attention to orders; 
or from failure to give orders distinctly in some detail; 
or failure to estimate the full importance of some con- 



62 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

ditions, and to provide adequately for what may occur; 
or from lack of moral concern, such as over-eagerness 
to make money, too low estimate of the value of human 
life, or too low estimate of the value of property of 
another, or unfaithful service. Disobedience of the Di- 
vine law of the Sabbath enters prominently into all 
causes of accidents that may be named. Losses result 
not so much from unwillingness to do as from lack of 
alertness. Fatigue which is caused from disobedience 
to the fourth commandment brings lack of acuteness 
of attention. Moral qualities which only can give prop- 
er estimate of the value of life and property of another 
and faithfulness in service, are dependent upon sacred 
uses of the Sabbath. We need not wonder that follow- 
ing a national law in Belgium requiring one day of rest 
in seven, seventeen of the rest days to be on the Sabbath, 
each year, there were 54 per cent, less accidents caus- 
ing loss of life from thoughtlessness of the workmen. 

Mr. Divan, who for a number of years was Vice 
President of the Erie Railway Company, and has occu- 
pied many positions from the lower to the higher of- 
fices, said before the committee when the Blair Sunday 
rest bill was before Congress, that he believed an en- 
gineer could conduct his engine more safely when he 
had his Sunday rest, that he could give more accurate 
attention for safe service. An engineer who was held 
responsible for causing an accident on the Denver and 
Rio Grand railway, because he was running the train 






Economic Benefits from Sunday Rest 63 

a few minutes ahead of time, said to his friend that he 
did not know why he was disregarding orders. He was 
not himself aware of the effect of his seven day labor. 
We may imprison employees who have been kept at 
work in violation to the Divine law of rest for their 
consequent errors and loss of life, but who is respon- 
sible ? 

One thoughtless act in an employee caused a railway 
company a loss of $100,000. If that amount was spent 
in permitting the employees to have a day of rest in 
seven, or in eliminating Sunday labor, accidents would 
not cause these losses, as they now do. Expensive 
equipment for preventing accidents is provided, but 
that will never take the place of repairing the man by 
the Sabbath of rest. 

The economic benefit from the divine law of weekly 
rest may be read from one of many similar incidents in 
travelers crossing the plains with teams. This incident 
was given by Mr. Majors, who observed the Sabbath 
in his business in freighting with ox teams between 
Santa Fe and the Missouri river. Another in similar 
business, asked Mr. Major at Santa Fe, as they were 
together there, how he could afford to lose one day 
each week. Mr. Major replied, "I gain more by 
observing the Sabbath than you do by disregarding it." 
The other disputed with him; but they both started 
with their ox teams next morning. They kept together 
until Sabbath morning, when Mr. Major's teams 



64 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

camped for the Sabbath, and the oxen were turned 
out to graze over the Sabbath. The others drove on 
Sabbath morning. Before they reached the Missouri 
river Mr. Major's teams passed the Sunday travelers, 
and were loaded and returning for Santa Fe when they 
met them, with jaded teams and drivers. Many days 
after Mr. Major and his company arrived at Santa Fe 
the seven day drivers who started with them a few 
weeks before, drove in with their teams fagged out, 
requiring many weeks of rest and recuperation before 
they could be used for the journey again. "The Sab- 
bath was made for man," for his spiritual and physical 
refreshment, and the beasts of burden come under the 
same law of physical benefits. 



CHAPTER VI 

THE RELATION OF SABBATH OBSERVANCE TO THE 
DEVELOPMENT OF CHRISTIAN LIFE AND CHARACTER 

"The profanation of the Sabbath is usually followed 
by a flood of immorality/' — Blackstone. 

"In vain may we hope to maintain the moral char- 
acter of a people zvithout religion." — Washington. 

"There is no hope of destroying the Christian re- 
ligion so long as the Christian Sabbath is acknowledged 
and kept by men as a sacred day." — Voltaire. 

WHATEVER may be said of the physical 
and economic benefits from observance 
of the divine law of the Sabbath, another 
and a greater reward is certain, and that 
is grown in moral and religious qualities.' Material 
interests are important, but the salvation of the soul 
must always be the foremost necessity. The life is 
more than meat ; the soul is more than the body ; char- 
acter is more than reputation ; repentance, love to God, 
willing obedience of His commandments, Faith in 
Christ for forgiveness and peace with God are ends to 
be sought before large dividends. 

The Sabbath observed is essential to the develop- 
ment of moral and Christian character. When the 
65 



66 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

proper observance of the Sabbath is left out religion 
declines, crime and immorality increases and manifold 
distresses follow. No one can maintain a Christian 
life with the Sabbath left out any more than he can live 
a Christian life with the habitual use of profane 
language, or in persistent violation of any other of 
the ten commandments. The Holy Spirit is quenched 
by Sabbath desecration just as He is quenched by any 
other disobedience. Christ said, "If ye love me keep 
my commandments, and I will pray the Father and He 
will give you another Comforter, that He may abide 
with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the 
world cannot leceive, neither knoweth Him." It is 
not, Give us the Comforter then we will keep the com- 
mandments, but first keep the commandments, and the 
Holy Spirit will do His work; that is the plan, often 
violated, of building Christian life. Jesus commanded 
the lepers to go and show themselves to the priest, and 
as they went, after they obeyed, not before, they were 
healed. We are prone to say, Heal me, and I will go 
to the priest; or give me conversion and I will obey. 
But the Divine plan is to bring up the children to keep 
the commandments; place the emphasis on obedience 
to God's commandments, then the Holy Spirit will not 
fail to do His work. It is by Faith in His power. 
We cannot emphasize too much, that when God gave 
the commandments he said, "Thou shalt teach them 
diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them 



Relation of Sabbath Observance 67 

when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walk- 
est by the way, and when thou liest down, and when 
thou risest up. Thou shalt write them upon the posts 
of thy house and on thy gates." This places the em- 
phasis upon keeping the commandments, an emphasis 
which we are leaving out, so largely, in plans of build- 
ing the Kingdom. 

Proper uses of the Day of rest and worship means 
time for religion. We under estimate the effort neces- 
sary to keep up Christian life in a people. More than 
half the world today do not know their Creator, and 
more than half of those in the midst of Bible teaching 
know not of the secret things of peace with God. All 
this because some persons at some time have neglected 
the Sabbath; they have not given time to stop from 
pleasure and again to turn aside one day in seven, to 
sacredly reflect upon the things of the higher duties of 
life. They have not taught the commandments to their 
children on the Sabbath day nor on any day ; and when 
the things of religion are left out on the Sabbath, it is 
not long until they are left out every day of the week. 
Children under the care of the Sabbath desecrator 
grow up without religious training; and their children 
grow worse than their parents. Soon a generation rises 
that know not God. 

Proper Sabbath observance means religious training 
of the children and religion in the home. When the 
Sabbath is crowded out it means that the children are 



68 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

not trained, and that there is not to be a religious life 
in four-fifths of the children. When the Sabbath is 
crowded out, Bible reading is neglected, and prayer 
and religious instruction. When the Sabbath is crowd- 
ed out the boy grows up following the ways of the 
world, and the daughter seeking the vanities and follies 
of thoughtless society, neglecting the development of 
the moral and spiritual life. The keeping of the Sab- 
bath solves the boy problem, the problem of home relig- 
ious training and family religion, Bible study and num- 
erous other essentials that expensive efforts are made 
in vain to mend. Sabbath keeping is God's way. Man 
has devised many substitutes for the obedience of the 
fourth commandment, but there are no substitutes. 
Nothing in this world can take the place of one day 
in seven sacredly observed for the quiet of rest and 
religious life. A triumphant church with a desecrated 
Sabbath is impossible. If the church cannot save the 
Sabbath, it cannot save the world, nor itself. The arm 
of the church becomes paralyzed as the sacred uses of 
the day vanish; and the safety and integrity of the 
nation diminishes. 

Some one writes of the branches of a peach tree dying 
at the top. He cut off the dead branches, hoping, there- 
by, to save the tree. But the branches at the top of the 
tree died again, and again, when the dead branches were 
cut off. He thought a more serious weakness caused 
the limbs to die at the top. He dug about the root 



Relation of Sabbath Observance 69 

of the tree, and found that worms were eating into the 
main roots of the tree beneath the ground. This illus- 
trates how spiritual life, the highest qualities in man, die 
out first, because insufficient time is given to thought 
and devotion to the things of God — just the duties 
that fail to receive attention when the sacred day is 
neglected. Then the moral qualities follow next in 
decline, after religion is neglected. We try to remedy 
these defects by some man made theories, likely, without 
going to the root of the matter, without using the reme- 
dy which God has devised, which is the fourth com- 
mandment. 

God has given three things for preserving the moral 
and spiritual qualities in the human race. These are the 
Bible, the Church and the Sabbath. These three main- 
tain the Christian character of the people. When one 
foot of a tripod is taken the other two topple over. So 
it is when the Bible is absent from a people, the church 
and the Sabbath are lost. When the Church vanishes 
the Sabbath and the Bible disappear. When the Sab- 
bath fails to be observed, then the Bible is not followed 
as a guide and the church is not honored or attended. 

To get a wider and more correct knowledge of im- 
portant phases of the Sabbath question, the writer in 
the past weeks sent out letters to persons in different 
parts of the United States, asking statement of their 
observation in answer to the six questions which follow. 
Those published here withhold no phase of the ques- 



70 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

tion as answered in the replies, and are from persons 
who, because of their positions in life, should have 
made observations on the Sunday subject. 

First question, Do you believe the fourth command- 
ment to be binding upon us? "The fourth command- 
ment is as binding as the rest and all are as binding as 
God can make them." "Yes." "Most emphatically, 
yes. There is no Scripture authority for its abroga- 
tion. Only for quibblers does this raise any problem 
as to which day in the seven is to be kept as the Sab- 
bath." "I believe the fourth commandment is binding 
on us in so far as Jesus Christ accepted it and practiced 
it." "Yes." "Yes — in the larger and grander sense 
interpreted by our Master. I think we must follow 
the teachings of Jesus Christ who made very clear His 
position on this great question. The Christian Sabbath, 
the new day, the beginning of new things, to my mind 
is most sacred of all days, and I would not give up the 
quiet, the rest, the worship, the memory and the pro- 
phecy of the Sabbath for much else." 

Second question, How should the Sabbath be observ- 
ed? "The Sabbath should be observed by abstaining 
from all labor and all pleasure and making use of the 
day in such a way as to give rest to the body and exer- 
cise to the spirit. Any recreation which broadens and 
deepens the soul-life of the individual may be indulged 
in, and no other." "Religiously in attending the ordin- 
ances of the Lord's house." "It should be kept free 



Relation of Sabbath Observance 7 1 

from all business or pleasure which interferes with 
one's growth in the Christian life. Positively by a 
faithful use of all means for growth in grace." "The 
Lord's Day should be set apart for worship and rest." 
"In worship, rest and charity." "A fine answer is, 
'The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all 
that day, even from such worldly employments and 
recreations as are lawful on other days; and spending 
the whole time in the public and private exercises of 
God's worship, except so much as is to be taken up in 
the works of necessity and mercy. Only in our day, we 
have to add to it, not merely do we need a rest on that 
day from such worldly employments and recreations 
as are necessary on other days, and not only should we 
spend time in public and private exercises of worship, 
but also in the works of necessity and mercy. I have 
two ideas on the Sabbath. One is worship, rest, medi- 
tation on things divine ; the other is service ; it is a day 
peculiarly set apart for deeds Christlike and godly.' " 

Third question, Is it your observation that people 
develop in the Christian life when they use the day in 
labor for pay, as a visiting day or as a holiday? "My 
observation has been that a partial nonobservance of 
the Sabbath results in spiritual decline and, afterwards, 
in spiritual indifference and overthrow." "No." 
"NO." "All of these things stultify and stifle any real 
development in the Christian life, according to my 
observation." "People in the church, and out, do not 



?2 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

develop in the Christian life who are compelled to 
work for pay by corporations. I urge my flock to in- 
form people who call on them for visiting purposes on 
the Lord's Day, that they have important engagements 
at church and then kindly invite them to attend with 
them." 

"It is not an easy question to answer. As to work for 
pay, it is not possible for some people to refuse to work 
for pay on that day. Each case must stand on its own 
showing. You cannot lay down any rule in the com- 
plex civilization in which we are placed. I believe 
that every man should have one rest day in seven, it can- 
not always be on Sunday in view of the complex civiliza- 
tion in which we live. A man must have vision in 
these things. As to visiting on that day, while I draw 
a strong line for myself, it would depend on what kind 
of visiting, before I would condemn it in others. If 
you mean by visiting, social parties and the like, that is 
a different thing. But I would not lay down a law 
and state that there should be no visiting on the Lord's 
Day. As to using the Sabbath as a holiday, unequivo- 
cally — in no sense would I regard it as a holiday." 

Fourth question, Are children trained in Christian 
ways, and do they embrace the Christian life, when the 
parents use the Sabbath as a holiday or as a work day? 
"Not to any alarming extent." "No, not often." "Like 
parents like children. Very rarely do children em- 
brace the Christian life whose parents use the Lord's 



Relation of Sabbath Observance 73 

Day for work or holiday, and I have had 30 years per- 
sonal knowledge as a downtown pastor of these condi- 
tions." "Children from such homes, as a rule, become 
Christians and develop in the Christian life, only in 
spite of the home influence and because of outside in- 
fluences." "No doubt where parents use the Sabbath 
entirely as a holiday the influence is bad on the child." 

Fifth question, Is the Lord's Day declining in its 
religious uses? "Everything indicates a decline. De- 
sire for worship has given place to a desire to be enter- 
tained. The home is where the danger lies. Children 
must not only be taught that the observance of the Sab- 
bath is right and in harmony with God's laws and the 
teachings of sociology, but it must be enforced by 
precept and example. It is senseless to say that during 
the formative period the child must be allowed to 
choose for itself. Children must be made to observe 
the Sabbath in such a way as will draw a well-marked 
cleavage between the Sabbath and all the other days of 
the week." "Yes, where there is a large foreign pop- 
ulation. "No." "Not so much by Christians as out- 
siders and those who drift away from church on re- 
moval to new towns or cities. I am in position to 
know that actors, baseball players, barbers and packing 
house workers do not wish to be white slaves to cor- 
porations, and for physical reasons, if for no other, they 
are anxious for one day in seven for rest, and some of 
them for divine worship." "I fear the highest ideals of 



74 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

its observance are passing away ; yet in a modified form 
it is more generally observed than ever before." "Have 
not data sufficient to answer. In some places, yes; in 
others, no. In my journeyings over the country through- 
out the year I stayed in many homes. So far as my 
observations go, I should say that the Lord's Day was 
as carefully and as religiously mapped out as it was in 
my childhood." 

Sixth question, What methods, in your judgment, 
should be used to bring better uses of the day? "Church 
members must sacrifice the pleasure of a long ride in a 
car for the benefits of worship in God's house. The 
ministry must refrain from the appearance of evil in 
this matter and set a worthy example." (The follow- 
ing answer was by a superintendent of public schools). 
"Use Bibles in all schools, both public and private; pro- 
hibit baseball and moving picture shows on Sunday; 
close all saloons when and where possible; and live 
more consecrated lives ourselves." "Place emphasis on 
the fourth commandment ; keep churches open ; let wor- 
ship of God be the keynote in church services ; less dry- 
bone, conceited, human preaching, and a better spirit of 
contrition, humility and love in our services." "The 
church should create moral sentiment in favor of one 
day for rest and worship ; pastors should ring the 
changes from their pulpits; line up the laboring man 
along this line. This is a good opportunity to show 
that the church is doing all possible to bring about one- 



Relation of Sabbath Observance 75 

day-in-seven to break the yoke of bondage by greedy cor- 
porations which compel them to work on the Lord's 
Day. Our legislators and congressmen should pass 
laws forcing all theaters, motion picture shows and 
such, to close shop, so to speak, on the Lord's Day, on 
physical grounds, of course." "I believe one helpful 
method, if it could be financed, would be a series of 
conferences or institutes in all our cities and towns on 
the Sabbath. This would educate and help create pub- 
lic sentiment and conscience." "This is a large ques- 
tion, I can only give brief answers. Christian people 
should make the Sabbath bright, winsome, cheery, hope- 
ful, beautiful. Christians should engage in service for 
things worth while. Careful attention should be given 
to legislation. Any legislative act that makes more work 
is detrimental to the best interest of the community at 
large. I oppose all laws looking to extra work on Sun- 
day. I would oppose baseball games, excursion trains 
and everything which puts on the poor man the obliga- 
tion to work. All Christians should endeavor to urge 
legislation with restrictions to the minimum of Sunday 
labor. Finally, Christians should refuse to go to Art 
Exhibitions, galleries and any places of worldly amuse- 
ment on the Lord's Day. The Christian is a great sin- 
ner in this matter." 

A wide survey of the results from disregard for the 
sacred uses of the day of rest and worship, make cer- 
tain facts evident. It is evident that those who use the 



76 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

Sabbath as a holiday, or in reading baser fiction, or in 
social gatherings, or in the pursuit of pleasure, fashion, 
or politics, are not developing in the Christian life. 

Another fact most evident is that those who use the 
Sabbath in pursuit of worldly gain, pleasure or society, 
do not train their children in Christian habits or bring 
them up with Christian belief. 

Another fundamental truth becomes evident, that the 
Holy Spirit is quenched from the life by Sabbath trans- 
gression, just as His indwelling presence vanishes from 
any other life of transgression. We do not ask if the 
profane man is an example of Christian Faith and life; 
we know he is not because his wrong quenches the Holy 
Spirit from his life. When we see a person reckless 
in Sabbath desecration we do not ask if that person is a 
Christian ; we know that his wrong has a demoralizing 
effect upon his heart and conscience. 

Do we realize the full import of these facts? We 
stand in awe as we face the fact that between 4,000,000 
and 5,000,000 of the citizens of our land, who are or 
who will become the fathers and mothers of the next 
generation, are compelled to labor on the Sabbath, and 
it is bringing the mass of them into spiritual degen- 
eracy and their children into unbelief, with its conse- 
quent large portion of crime. More than that, and per- 
haps worse, millions more are squandering the sacred 
day, needful to them for spiritual enrichment, in trifling 
fascinations of amusement, fashion and worldly pur- 



Relation of Sabbath Observance 77 

suits. Multitudes are going away from godliness, des- 
pising the church and making excuses for their failures 
to serve in the Master's kingdom, as a consequence. 
If we take this to heart enough to realize the meaning 
of it, we cannot be indifferent to the Sunday question. 

Exclamations of distress that cry out of this awful 
condition are heard on all sides. A father wept, as he 
felt the disgrace upon himself and son, when the son 
was sentenced to the reform school. He said, why 
should we suffer for the wrongs which others have 
caused? During all the life time of this boy I have 
had to work on Sundays ; and when I should have been 
at home on the Sabbath days developing my own Chris- 
tian life, setting before him a godly example and train- 
ing him in Christian ways, I have been compelled to la- 
bor on that day. Now we must suffer for it. His 
lament is only that which is echoed throughout our 
land because of the transgression of the Sabbath law. 

A man engaged in the government mail service, car- 
rying the mail pouches between the post office and train 
in one of our cities, said that for years he was required 
by the duties of his labor, to work at all the hours of 
church services, laboring on Sabbath as well as on other 
days of the week. He was asked about maintaining 
his Christian life under those conditions. He spurned 
the thought of religion. But he said he used to think 
of those things. But years ago he made up his mind 
he would have to do one of two things; he must 



78 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

give up religion or yield his position in the mail service ; 
and he concluded to continue to draw his monthly check 
from Uncle Sam in the mail service and let religion go. 
And he represents thousands of others who are abandon- 
ing the ways of the Christian life because of Sabbath 
desecration. 

A young man in the street car service said he was 
brought up in a Christian home. His father and his 
mother were in the church. And they were anxious 
about his Christian life. He accepted a position in the 
street car service, and he soon was asked to work on the 
Sabbath day, which he did. He said he soon ceased to 
go to church as his Sunday work began. His religious 
interest died out; he had not attended church for years 
and bad habits were overcoming him. His father would 
be much surprised if he knew how he had lost out in 
religion, he said. He was asked if there was not some- 
thing wrong about a condition that required a person 
to so labor on the Sabbath day that he could not take 
care of his soul's salvation. He said I know it is wrong 
and feel it, but what can we do? He speaks for tens 
of thousands of young men and women in this country 
today. 

There are more boys selling papers on the streets of 
American cities Sabbath days, drifting away from the 
Christian life, thereby than are found in attendance upon 
all our preaching services. More children are taken 
joy riding on Sabbath days than the number that are 



Relation of Sabbath Observance 79 

taught anything of the religious life in the homes of our 
land. More young men and women spend Sabbath 
days at amusement resorts than engage in the various 
forms of Christian work on that day. These condi- 
tions enter into the problem of whether those who do 
not enter more decidedly into Christian service and the 
Christian life, can put Christian character into the next 
generation. What will the harvest be? 

In the amusement resorts in the cities on Sabbath 
evenings thousands of young men and young women 
are found dancing, playing cards, engaged in the vari- 
ous amusements provided in these places. These things 
of course, are out of harmony with the sacred character 
of the Sabbath. No one can claim that such practices 
"Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." From 
a Saturday issue of a city daily paper the announce- 
ments for the amusements for the next day, Sabbath, 
are found: "The dude detective at the Empress. An 
alvalanche of Popular fun. Just one scream after an- 
other." "At the Clubhouse and ballroom; dancing — 
hesitate — tango. — one step; Saturday and Sunday." 
"At the Walnut ; a laugh romance of quick fire action ; 
first time at popular prices. Matinee and night, Sun- 
day." "All-Star vaudeville: Sunday matinee; The 
Green Beetle; the hurrahs; they do tango and hesitate 
waltz on skates ; 25 cents." "Burlesque at the Olymp- 
ic; Sunday; Paquita, Spanish dancer." "At the Gay- 
ety; Sunday matinee; Louis Robie's beauty show; 



80 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

burlesque sensation, 'Oh, Oh, Josephine;' screamingly 
funny comedians, bountiful bevies of bewitching beau- 
ties." "Five river rides, Sunday ; music for every new 
dance; moonlight dance cruise; round trip 25 cents." 
These with other allurements are advertised in one 
daily paper to attract the unwary youth in one di our 
American cities on a Sabbath day. These attractions 
appeal to the baser nature of the youth, and dwarf 
the moral and spiritual life by spending the Sabbath in 
their attendance. Other attractions, such as baseball 
games, races and shows, all of which appeal to the baser 
natures and have nothing for the sacred uses of the 
Sabbath day. They contain nothing for moral or relig- 
ous upbuilding. Other practices that turn the heart 
away from seeking spiritual upbuilding is the automo- 
bile joy riding on the Sabbath. There is usually the 
defense that we can worship God in nature. Those 
who go on an auto trip on the Sabbath day and wor- 
ship God by doing so are not violating the command, 
"Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy," but there 
are convincing indications that the Sunday automobile 
ride, in nine cases out of ten, is nothing but a holiday 
outing like any other Sunday excursion. All these 
things cause some people to labor on the day of rest 
and worship. Those who patronize them are not devel- 
oping in the religious and moral life; but are growing 
indifferent to the claims of religion. They are not 
reading the Scriptures sufficiently to know the way of 



Relation of Sabbath Observance 81 

salvation or to turn their thoughts to those essential 
truths. The claims of Christ has no* response in their 
souls. They know so little of the Bible that they are 
ashamed to go where they might expose their ignorance 
of these things. And the longer they spend their Sab- 
baths in pursuing such trifling attractions the more 
deeply they become intrenched in the ways of godless- 
ness. When the fourth commandment is violated by 
such holiday pastimes, the Holy Spirit is quenched 
from the life, interest in religious things dies out, objec- 
tions are made against all efforts to lead them to salva- 
tion and excuses are offered for not attending to the 
development of Christian character. We do not won- 
der that the unanimous testimony, in the observation 
of those consulted, has been that they who use the 
Sabbath as a holiday do not develop in the Christian 
life. 

More than half of the people of the world do not 
know their Creator. They have not had instruction 
and training enough in spiritual things to keep them in 
harmony with God. 380,000,000 in China, 300,000,000 
in India and 170,000,000 in Africa are living without 
a knowledge of the true God, and are groping in their 
blindness in the baseness of superstition and idolatry. 
Why have they been brought to this unfortunate con- 
dition of godlessness? It is because they have not been 
trained or instructed in the teachings of the Bible. 
Long ago their fathers and mothers failed to come to 



82 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

sincere obedience of the Sabbath, and they heeded not 
the things of religion week after week and month after 
month, until they lost heart in the worship of God. 
They brought up their children without a Sabbath, to 
bring themselves to humble worship and prayer to 
know the truth. We cannot imagine a people who keep 
the Sabbath in seeking to know their Creator and Sa- 
vior to lose out in religious truth. On the other hand, 
we cannot imagine a people to maintain the worship 
of God or to keep up in the moral life who do not 
seek God and spiritual enlightenment one day in seven. 
It is the fourth commandment that is lost first in the 
downward course from God. When the Sabbath is 
lost, religion is perverted. Peculiar beliefs are sure 
to follow. When a people fail to sincerely and rever- 
ently seek God one day in seven, they then fail in spir- 
itual perception of religious truths, because these things 
are spiritually discerned. They are certain to evolve 
their religion out of their intellectual reasoning instead 
of out of their hearts, from communion with the Holy 
Spirit, and are always led astray thereby. "The world 
by wisdom knoweth not God." The Holy Spirit is 
the author of the life of Faith in the soul, and we 
know the Creator and Savior by the revelation of the 
Holy Spirit in the soul. And when the Holy Spirit is 
quenched from the life, as He is, by Sabbath desecra- 
tion, it is impossible to know Him. In this way the 
peoples have brought up their children in heathen dark- 



Relation of Sabbath Observance 83 

ness, until the vast populations worship by the vain 
speculations of philosophy. Confucius, Buddha and oth- 
ers who have led the pagan world in their idolatrous re- 
ligions have not given forth their philosophy from hearts 
enlightened by communion with God, but from noble 
minds. The same is true of the thousands of others who 
have, in every age, defined some philosophy that has 
appealed to the public mind. Some have been "false 
prophets," and some have been sincere in their blind 
delusion. But all of them have been inconsistent in Sab- 
bath keeping and plain teachings of the Scriptures. The 
individual drifts away by slack Sabbath keeping; and 
the communities drift away from sincere religious life 
by allowing the stores to be open on the Sabbath, and 
sports to be engaged in, until the atmosphere of the 
places, on the Sabbath days, is permeated with the spirit 
of traffic, travel, fashion and society instead of the spirit 
of quiet worship. Nations drift away from God in a 
similar manner. Customs become popular that are out 
of harmony with Christianity; men without religion 
are placed in public office; public affairs are without 
regard for the Sabbath ; rulers set the example of pub- 
lic appearances and travel on the Sabbath; laws are de- 
nied which are necessary to protect the true spirit of 
worship; laws are made which conflict with the laws 
of God. Solomon married the princess of Egypt, a wise 
worldly policy, to secure the influence of Egypt; and 
proceeded to marry other wives, and then to build places 



84 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

of worship, not in complete harmony with God's com- 
mandments, but to meet seemingly necessary conditions. 
Then Jeroboam thought it was necessary to set up gold- 
en calves in Dan and Bethel to meet a condition, and 
to be popular with many. So it was not long until 
the nation is found worshipping with idols, as the sur- 
rounding heathen people.- It is not a long step between 
the sincere worship of Israel in the days of David 
and the idol worship of Jeroboam and Ahab. Ezekiel 
tells us that the degeneracy of Israel was "Because they 
despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, 
but polluted my Sabbaths." Any individual, family, 
community or nation will become degenerate that does 
not keep the Sabbath. If we ask why the half of the 
world is in heathen darkness today, the answer is, they 
did not keep the Sabbath. The same is true of the 
multiude that are in Christian nations, in the midst 
of church privileges; they are not Christian and have 
lost the Christian habits and Faith because they or their 
parents have not kept the Sabbath. 

A criminal drew a rude sketch on the walls of the 
prison, showing the steps that led to his criminal career. 
Four steps were drawn; on the first step he wrote 
Disobedience to parents; on the second step he placed 
Sabbath desecration; on the third, Intemperance and 
gambling; on the fourth, Crime. Over these, on the 
platform, the gallows. One who has given special study 
to the subject of crime and criminals said that his ob- 



Relation of Sabbath Observance 85 

servation has been that nearly every criminal career, 
if not everyone has been caused by Sabbath desecra- 
tion. 

As we look about us, and see the number who have 
lost out in the worship and Faith of God, we see that 
there is a proneness to underestimate the amount of time 
and effort necessary to maintain proper moral and 
Christian life and service. God requires of us to take 
time for religion. We owe it to him to cease from 
secular pursuits and pleasures one day in seven and give 
Him thanks and seek the true way of worship and 
moral living. We cannot learn music without taking 
time for it, nor the arts, neither can we develop Chris- 
tian character without taking time for it. For this rea- 
son God, who knows the needs of man, has made one 
day in seven sacred for rest and worship. A noted 
musician said, if I neglect the piano a week I notice it. 
If I neglect to practice for two weeks my friends no- 
tice it. If I fail to practice for three weeks the public 
notices it. So it is, if we fail to keep the Sabbath 
for religious purposes one week God notices it; we 
have not the quickened conscience, the communion with 
God, the concern for right living that we would have 
had if we had taken the Sabbath for religious reflec- 
tion. If we neglect the Sabbath for two weeks we no- 
tice it; we do not feel a vital interest in the Christian 
life as we would if we had kept the two Sabbaths. If 
we neglect the Sabbath for three weeks our friends no- 



86 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

tice it; there is not the outward evidence of an in- 
ward spiritual interest. If a generation grows up with- 
out the Sabbath the next generation feels the iron heel 
of corruption, crime and unbelief. Three generations 
Sabbathless will bring paganism as complete as we find 
it in pagan countries; but the superstition and baseness 
in the lower castes, as we find in India and other god- 
less countries come to the people as the generations 
sweep on without a Sacred Sabbath unto the Lord. 

Chief Justice Hale said, "Nine-tenths of those con- 
victed before me for high crime said they started in the 
road to crime by Sabbath desecration." Justice Strong 
gives similar testimony, "The common lament of crim- 
inals is, I started down by Sabbath desecration." Mr. 
D. J. Star, who has given the subject of crime and 
criminals much study, and who was chaplain of the 
Ohio state penitentiary for a number of years said, 
"My observation is, that nearly every criminal career, 
if not everyone, is brought about by Sabbath desecra- 
tion." The Massachusetts prison chaplain said, "The 
overwhelming majority of criminals hereabouts are 
those who had a holiday Sunday, at least after church." 
S. Cutler, agent of the New York Prison Association, 
said, "Sabbath desecration is almost always the fore- 
runner of crime." The superintendent of the Martha 
Washington Home, whose work for many years was to 
care for wayward and unfortunate girls, said, "Fifty 
per cent, of these girls between fourteen and eighteen 



Relation of Sabbath Observance 87 

are led into wrong doing through lack of restraint 
from Sunday sports." A New York business firm in- 
vited any desiring a $3,000 clerkship to call Saturday. 
Two of the number were asked to return Monday for 
the answer for the position. Monday the employer 
said, "You have just the mental qualifications and ex- 
perience our business needs; but you spent yesterday, 
the Sabbath, at Coney Island amusement resort. I am 
not a member of a church, but as a business man, have 
learned that it is not safe to trust anyone with large 
financial responsibility who spends Sunday in sport." 
The other applicant for the position had been at 
Church the Sabbath before, and he was accepted. When 
this event was related in a Sabbath-school the superin- 
tendent, who had large business experience, said, "I 
have heard several business men in this city say the 
same thing." 

A careful record was made of six families who kept 
not the Sabbath, and five families with equal religious 
advantages, who kept the Sabbath. The record of the 
families was traced to the third generation. The rec- 
ord shows that, of the fifty descendants of the non-Sab- 
bath keeping families, 50 per cent, of those who arrived 
to mature years were drunkards and gamblers and dis- 
solute; 10 per cent, of them have been in prison; five 
families were broken by divorce, and another by the 
father being sent to the penitentiary for theft; eight 
parents became drunkarks; one committed suicide; all 



88 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

came to poverty; one was killed in a fight; and only 
one became a Christian. The descendants of the Sab- 
bath keeping families showed 20 per cent, consistent 
Christians; many filled important positions of useful- 
ness; none were convicted of crime; none came to 
poverty. 

Anyone can take a survey of the situation and see 
the relation of Sabbath keeping to the development of 
Christian character. And he will find the events re- 
ported correspond with the facts that everyday experi- 
ences are bringing out. The central and largest com- 
mand of the decalogue is necessary to maintain all the 
other nine commands; as the keystone of the arch 
is required for the support of the arch. 

The rows of corn in a garden in an irrigating dis- 
trict, showed large, thrifty corn in one end of the gar- 
den, but small stalks, but a few inches high, without 
vitality enough to yield anything, at the other end. The 
owner said that the ground was just as fertile and 
had as much irrigation in one end as the other; but, as 
he had thought of the reason for the stunted growth 
at the one end, he said the tree kept out the sunshine 
from the end of the garden where the corn was so 
small, while the other end of the garden had the morn- 
ing sunshine. Is that not the way it is in spiritual 
growth in the hearts of people? Those who do not 
spend the Sabbath in communion with God, have not 
the vitalizing forces in the soul that brings spiritual 



Relation of Sabbath Observance 89 

growth. While the Sabbath in communion with God 
gives spiritual vitality and fruits abound in the life. 
That explains the record of crime in families where 
there is no Sabbath and the presence of the fruits of the 
Christian life in families and countries where they keep 
the Sabbath sacred for rest and religon. 



CHAPTER VII 

METHODS OF SECURING A DAY OF REST EACH WEEK 
IN CONTINUOUS INDUSTRY 

"Laws setting aside Sunday as a day of rest are up- 
held, not from any right of the Government to legis- 
late for the promotion of religious observances, but 
from its right to protect all persons from the physical 
and moral debasement that comes from uninterrupted 
labor. Such laws have always been deemed beneficial 
and merciful laws, especially to the poor and dependent, 
to the laborers in our factories and workshops and in 
the heated rooms of our cities ; and their validity has 
been sustained by the highest courts of the states." — 
Supreme Court of the U. S. Unanimous decision, 
March 16, 1885. 

"Give the world one-half of Sunday and you will 
soon find that religion has no strong hold on the other 
half." — Sir Walter Scott. 

"While industry is suspended, while the plough lies 
in the furrow, while the exchange is silent, while no 
smoke ascends from the factory, a process is going on 
quite as important to the wealth of the nation as any 
process which is performed on more busy days. Man, 
the machine of machines, is repairing and winding up 
so that he returns to his labor on Monday with clearer 
intellect, with livelier spirit, with renewed corporal 
vigor." — Macaulay. 



90 



Methods of Securing A Day of Rest 91 

THE conditions that constitute the need of 
a day of rest for each in a week, furnish 
proper grounds for a law for a day of rest 
for all. Nine persons out of ten agree that 
all persons should have a day of rest each week, but it 
is not brought about. We have been content to study 
conditions and philosophize on the wrong of Sunday 
and seven-day labor, and not do the things that bring 
to pass the will of the people, or that which is neces- 
sary to reduce Sunday labor to the minimum and secure 
a day of rest in seven. It can be done. How we may 
bring it about is an important inquiry. For, while 
churches, labor unions, political parties, religious con- 
ferences and assemblies of citizens are passing strong 
recommendations against Sunday and seven-day labor 
and Sabbath desecration, violation of the Sabbath is on 
the increase. More persons are being employed for 
seven-day labor, more plans for toil on that day, and 
more Sabbath desecration are boldly arranged for, than 
ever. The fourth commandment is being crowded out 
in every phase of the problem. The habits of the 
people are more and more for using the day as a holi- 
day; the doctrine of the people is for excusing them- 
selves for their misconduct; "necessity and mercy," is 
given a broader interpretation, until all kinds of busi- 
ness, traffic and recreation are placed into that conven- 
ient category. It is now due to the American people 
to be true to their convictions and bring to pass the 



92 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

observance of the day of rest which we know is required 
of us for the physical, moral and spiritual well being 
of the people. 

A crisis in this movement was in 1888, when the 
Blair Sunday Rest Bill came before Congress. On the 
one hand, the material prosperity, modern inventions 
and concentrating industries began seriously to crowd 
out the sacred day of rest and worship. On the other 
hand, the conscience and sentiment of this Christian 
nation demanded that the Sabbath be preserved. The 
Bill was presented by Senator Blair, and forbid "any 
secular work, labor or business, works of necessity, 
mercy and religion excepted ; nor shall any person 
engage in any public play, game or amusement, or rec- 
reation to the disturbance of others, on the first day of 
the week, commonly known as the Lord's Day. . . 
. Nor shall it be legal to require those engaged in 
works permitted on the Sabbath to follow their usual 
avocations on more than six days per week, except in 
household service, the care of stock, and care of the 
sick. That no mails or mail matter shall be trans- 
ported in time of peace over any land postal route, nor 
shall any mail matter be collected, assorted, handled 
or delivered during any part of the first day of the 
week. . . . That all military and naval drills, 
musters and parades, not in time of active service or 
immediate preparation therefore. ... on the first 
day of the week, except assemblies for the due and 



Methods of Securing A Day of Rest 93 

orderly observance of religious worship are hereby pro- 
hibited." 

This measure was urged by the largest petition that 
had ever been presented to our national Congress. The 
petition was over half a mile long, representing the 
desire of over ten million people. In addition to this 
a Cardinal of the Catholic church presented a state- 
ment for its passage, representing tens of thousands 
more. The public hearing for and against it was one 
of the most widely circulated reports sent out by Con- 
gress. The measure was not passed. As a result tens 
of thousands of our fellowmen have gone down in phys- 
ical and moral ruin. They have been compelled to 
labor Sunday and seven days in the week, managers 
have thought about business to the exclusion of relig- 
ious life, and the Sabbath has been crowded out of a 
large portion of the homes and out of the life of our 
fellow citizens, with all the dreadful consequences. 
Our nation has gone backward instead of forward in 
consequence, in interests worth while. And today, 
there is a problem upon us that we must solve, namely : 
to turn back the tide of Sabbath desecration, to bring 
the employers of labor to reconstruct their plans of 
business for a day of rest in seven, to educate the public 
mind and conscience in the observance of the fourth 
commandment. 

For the accomplishment of this important work, 
three things are plainly required: an organized effort; 



94 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

agitation and education of the public mind and con- 
science; and legislation. 

The first of these is all important. There must be a 
combined and organized effort. This is a special 
work. The church cannot do this work. Of course 
the church must give its support, but it requires all 
denominations and all organizations looking to the 
welfare of humanity, including the labor unions, re- 
ligious organizations and legislative associations. Field 
workers are necessary, who can present the facts, make 
plans which will bring results, concentrate the senti- 
ment of the people upon the required effort, visit and 
urge employers of labor, legislative committees and 
move the people to give and live for a better use of 
the Sabbath all along the line. Organizations that send 
out circulars, only, and talk about conditions, accom- 
plish but little. The work that has been done has been 
done by field workers who have gone about with a 
message and a plan, securing recommendations and 
sending them where they will move people to act. Money 
spent in this kind of work always bring results. 

The second need of this work is agitation and edu- 
cation. A series of sermons on the Sunday question from 
every pulpit would bring a harvest. Sermons should be 
preached on what the Bible teaches about the Sabbath ; 
the history of the sacred day of the week; physical 
requirements of a day of rest in seven; the economic 
benefits of a day of rest for the employee; eco- 



Methods of Securing A Day of Rest 95 

nomic conditions in respect to continuous labor; moral 
and spiritual necessity of a people requiring the Sab- 
bath ; Sabbath observance in the development of Chris- 
tian character; how to keep the Sabbath; Sabbath ob- 
servance and home religion. This subject should have 
a prominent place in religious conferences, instead of 
being crowded out. It should be on the program of 
Sunday-school conventions, for there is nothing so much 
against the work of the Sunday-school as Sabbath dese- 
cration. The people, by every means possible, should 
be brought to think. There is need of instruction. Most 
of the youth, today, are brought up in homes where they 
see and hear more against proper Sabbath observance 
than for it. On all sides they see, through the forma- 
tive period of life, labor and holiday pastimes out of 
harmony with the sacred day; and as they grow they 
form the impression that the commandment is not to be 
observed. They read the fourth commandment, "Re- 
member the Sabbath day to keep it holy," and they won- 
der what it means. They would be surprised to realize 
that it means what it says, so far are many from obedi- 
ence to one of the fundamental principles of the de- 
velopment of Christian life and character. There is 
dire need of instruction about the fourth command- 
ment. How could they know what it means who have 
come up through the formative period of life where 
members of the family went to labor as usual on the 
Sabbath, or who through their youth have been employed 



96 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

selling papers, gathering golf balls or some other form 
of work for pay? Or how could they know of the 
sacred character of the day who have been brought up 
through their childhood using the Sabbath as a holi- 
day? 

The third essential in solving the problem of the 
day of rest and worship is legislation. It is impossible 
to find valid reasons against making Sunday laws. Every 
state, about, in the United States, and every civilized 
country in the world have Sunday laws, and these laws 
have been sustained by the courts throughout the coun- 
try and the world. All regulations must be outlined 
and enforced by law, without which there would be the 
same confusion and riot in the violation of the Sab- 
bath, as there would be without law for the support of 
the command, "Thou shalt not steal," or any other of 
the decalogue. The objection that Sunday laws are 
religious laws is without foundation. There is religion 
in the command, "Thou shalt not steal," and there is 
civil protection, both physical and moral, in Sunday 
laws just as there is in laws regulating honest practices. 
Sunday laws are among the most beneficent statutes 
ever pased. Where Sunday laws have not protected the 
quiet of worship on the Sabbath, or humane hours of 
labor, or secured freedom from labor so as to attend 
religious duties on the Sabbath, the health and morals 
of the people have suffered. Eight hours for labor in 
twenty-four, cannot be secured without regulation by 



Methods of Securing A Day of Rest 97 

statute of some kind, no more can Sunday rest. 

One day of rest in seven, is the regulation neces- 
sary. This will reduce Sunday labor to the minimum, 
for when one day is required it will be chosen on the 
Lord's day, especially with the Sunday laws now on the 
statute books. All kinds of regulations have been 
thought out and tried on this subject, but that which 
is efficient and practical must be summed up in the fol- 
lowing statement: 

"When, by reason of necessity or charity, an employee 
is required or permitted to work on Sunday he shall 
have twenty-four consecutive hours free from labor 
from one of the next succeeding six days of the week." 

Regulations for compensatory time off from one of 
the next succeeding six days for Work done on Sunday, 
is an important arrangement, often. The half holiday 
on Saturday is important, and should be arranged where 
possible. Limiting hours for labor to eight hours in 
twenty-four is important; but it is not supported by 
the same divine principles that one day's rest in seven 
has. Eight hours of well directed labor will preserve 
the toiler, and fit him for doing more work and better 
service, than longer hours. Eight hours for work, eight 
hours for sleep and eight hours for recreation and self 
improvement, is a wise regulation. In the wording 
of Sunday laws exceptions must, sometimes be inserted. 
These exceptions, which are made because of necessi- 
ties, are not pronounced class legislation by the courts. 



98 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

Two countries have made notable progress in secur- 
ing laws for a day of rest, as national regulations. These 
countries are France and Italy. By their laws Sunday 
is protected as a day of rest. Also a day of rest each 
week is required, allowing time off from one of the six 
days when work is necessary on Sunday. Many coun- 
tries have adopted laws embodying these points; some 
of which are Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, 
Germany, Rumania, Austria, Bosnia, Hergovinia, Bel- 
gium, Canada, British India, Cape of Good Hope, Chili, 
Argentine. 

Continuous industries must be recognized in one day- 
in-seven rest laws. 

Blast furnaces in modern steel plants are constructed 
for continuous labor. Society has come to require extra 
labor on Sunday in hotel, and often in household, ser- 
vice. Transportation is demanded more and more as a 
continuous industry. Electric light, rapid transmission 
of messages and many other forms of secular affairs, are 
required by the public, to be continuous. A strict and 
sane law permitting and requiring a day of rest in seven 
for those employed in these continuous industries is es- 
sential to the physical and moral well being of the mil- 
lions who must carry on this work. For a nation to 
compel so large a portion of their fellows to engage in 
seven day toil, with its disastrous consequences which 
are unquestionable, is inexcusably heartless. It is below 
Christian civilization. It is wrong. More than that, 



Methods of Securing A Day of Rest 99 

it can be regulated. It can be regulated without serious 
loss to any, and with positive benefits to all concerned. 
The call is for the people to rally to the leadership of 
the Lord's Day Alliance or whatever management will 
make and prosecute plans to bring the law to pass. The 
managers in these industries say they do not wish to 
continue employing persons to labor seven days a week, 
but the people require it. The people say it is wrong 
in the managers and employers to so require seven- 
day toil. All must help the movement toward an or- 
ganized effort to secure a day of rest and reduce Sun- 
day labor to the minimum. Proper support of a lead- 
ership, agitation, education and law enactment will 
easily bring the desired results. Persons in authority 
must be interviewed often, urging plans for reducing 
Sunday work, which makes essential the employment of 
persons for leading on this special work. The workers 
must be supported, which means that the people must 
give and co-operate with their plans. 

One of the obstacles in reducing Sunday work to the 
minimum is the plea which is commonly made that 
Sunday labor has been reduced to the minimum, in 
their particular line of work, already. That plea was 
made by the Government managers of the post office 
department when the movement was first urged for 
better Sunday rest for the postmen. Nevertheless, 
since that plea was made 35,000 postmen have been 
given freedom from Sunday labor and nearly 70,000 



IOO Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

have had their Sunday labor greatly reduced. It could 
be reduced further by the habits of the people reducing 
the demands for Sunday mail service. The first post- 
master interviewed in this movement insisted that Sun- 
day labor had been reduced by him to the very mini- 
mum. But every carrier and clerk on regular duty was 
required to work part of each Sunday. When the 
Sunday closing plan was ordered, by petition from the 
people, nearly all the carriers were released from Sun- 
day labor and the clerks were allowed a reduction of 
labor on that day. Yet it had been, in the opinion of 
the postmaster, reduced to the very minimum before 
this sweeping reduction of labor on the Sabbath. Even 
the managers of railways are accustomed to claim that 
Sunday labor has been reduced to the minimum in rail- 
way service. But they haul empty cars, stone, lumber 
and all kinds of imperishable freight and require station 
agents to remain in their offices to report weather con- 
ditions, car reports and many details which could be, as 
a rule, dispensed with on the Sabbath, allowing the 
employees freedom for church services and private re- 
laxation and devotions. As thousands of persons have 
been released from Sunday labor, even after the work 
was thought to have been reduced to the minimum, so 
we believe, in all kinds of continuous industry, great 
reduction could be made in labor performed on the 
Sabbath, with no loss. 

To show that seven-day labor is not desired or ap- 



Methods of Securing A Day of Rest IOI 

proved we quote from those who are in position to aid 
in its reduction. At a meeting of the Iron and Steel 
Institute in New York, Mr. W. B. Dickson, Vice 
President of the United Steel Corporation, advocated 
adjustment of the working schedule in blast furnaces so 
as to allow every man off one day in each week. Mr. 
Schwab, President of the Steel Corporation, also advo- 
cated it. Samuel Gompers, President of the American 
Federation of Labor wrote, "The workers — that is, the 
organized workers — are constantly engaged in the 
movement to reduce the hours of labor, and that also 
implies the movement to limit the labor of workers to 
six days per week, in other words — Sunday rest. We 
have sought this by legislative enactments, and by pri- 
vate agreements with employers." The American Fed- 
eration of Labor passed the following resolution at 
their Convention: "Whereas the American Federation 
of Labor is unqualifiedly on record for a day of rest in 
seven, and has been efficiently working to that end; 
therefore, be it Resolved, That we heartily appreciate 
the co-operation of the Commission on the Church and 
Social Service to the end of securing one day's rest in 
seven, and pledge to them and to all others who may 
assist in this work, our hearty and earnest assistance." 
The National Association of Druggists, passed the fol- 
lowing resolution at their annual meeting in Philadel- 
phia, August, 1914: "Whereas, the druggists of the 
United States fully recognize the need of a weekly 



102 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

rest for themselves and their employees; Therefore be 
it resolved, that The National Association of Retail 
Druggists reaffirms its previous declarations fraternally 
requesting all druggists to limit their Sunday business 
to work of necessity and mercy. In this movement the 
druggists welcome the assistance of the press and church 
organizations of every name, and hope, by combining 
in this good work, to bring about better conditions for 
the individual, the state and the nation." 

The American Telephone Company has eliminated 
the seven day labor. An official of the company ex- 
pressed satisfaction with the result, and stated that 
increased efficiency of the employees because they have 
a day of rest each week has far exceeded expectations. 
Reference has been made to the increased efficiency and 
economy in the post office department of our govern- 
ment because of reducing Sunday labor, and securing 
the benefit of freedom from labor in whole or in part 
to 100,000 postmen. The postmen, who have been 
benefitted thereby, have expressed themselves in these 
words, "We cannot find words which will adequately 
express our thanks for our Sunday rest." An organ- 
ized effort secured a weekly rest day for all employees 
in the engineering department of the Federal buildings 
of the port of New York, and Hon. William G. 
McAdoo, Secretary of the Treasury of the United 
States, pronounced it a "desirable reform." The super- 
vising engineer in 19 15 publicly thanked the Lord's 



Methods of Securing A Day of Rest 103 

Day Alliance of the United States for bringing it about 
and said it was "a benefit both to the employees and to 
his department. A city of 30,000 population voted on 
an ordinance for a day of rest in seven for employees 
within the city, which resulted in a vote of 3,654 for 
to 1,581 against the measure, which is about two and 
one-third for such a measure, in an average city, to one 
against its adoption. 

These are but a few, of many that might be selected, 
of the views of employers of labor as well as the desire 
of the laborer and of the people generally, for reducing 
Sunday labor, and for a day of rest each week in con- 
tinuous industries. Employers of labor in all kinds of 
industry have found a day of rest in seven both practi- 
cal and profitable ; laboring people have strongly urged 
it; the mass of the people say it is right and seven-day 
labor is wrong; men become demoralized in character 
when Sunday labor is placed upon them; why, then, 
are the millions kept at Sunday and seven-day toil? 
Why does the noise of business and traffic not quiet 
on the Lord's Day? It is because the good people have 
not yet combined their efforts in the special work of 
bringing about the desired result. Those who work 
for bringing about Sabbath rest and worship must labor 
without support and their plans are not supported by 
those who say they believe in a day of rest. The excuse 
is made continually, that there are so many other things 
that this cause must be passed by. There is not senti- 



T04 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

ment. "The whole land is made desolate, because no 
man layeth it to heart." There is not sufficient action 
because there is not sentiment; and sentiment is not 
awakened because the means of awakening sentiment 
are ruled out, because there is not interest to support 
the means for making sentiment. And we travel in the 
rut which leads onward in the downward course of 
destruction of the physical, moral and spiritual qual- 
ities of the nation. "There is a withholding more than 
is meet and it tendeth to poverty." This was never 
more true than in the withholding from the Sabbath 
cause. Efforts put forth for the defense of the day of 
rest and worship have accomplished the greatest of re- 
sults. The famine has been sore upon us, but a cloud 
is in the sky the size of a man's hand. Faithful people 
are praying that the people may take this to heart and 
act. What has been accomplished has proved what can 
be done ; but it is not yet done. Who will lend a hand ? 
Now is the time to act. Things are in shape to push. 
Never before has the American people and all the world 
faced a situation that so demanded definite measure for 
defending the day of rest, as now, in this commercial 
age. Never before have the facts been at hand to 
demonstrate and convince the public mind of the in- 
creased efficiency and economy and the moral require- 
ments of the Sabbath. We must act now. We are at 
the point of moving one way or the other; it is either 
downward or upward. The mad rush of commercial- 



Methods of Securing A Day of Rest 105 

ism and pleasure seeking will demonstrate the need of a 
Sabbath and bring the salvation required, or the poison 
of selfish greed and passion will blind and demoralize 
until we sink into paganism, as most of the world has 
done. Where the Sabbath declines religion declines; 
where religion declines the power to know and keep the 
truths of the Bible fade away. The Sabbath is funda- 
mental. 

The steps downward are easily taken. People en- 
gage in careless uses of the Sabbath; then follows a 
more open disregard for the Sabbath; thoughtless as- 
sociations increase with every transgression; Sabbath 
breaking associates and the force of conditions seem to 
make Sunday visiting, holiday outings and Sunday la- 
bor necessary; conscience declines; the Sabbath is ex- 
plained away ; to excuse the thoughtless transgressions it 
is said to be puritanical, not practical, it has passed 
away, the fourth commandment has passed out of the 
decalogue and many other excuses that might justify 
the transgressions. These tendencies, so natural in man, 
require an organized effort to repair. 



CHAPTER VIII 

HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH 

"If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from 
doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sab- 
bath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and 
shalt honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor find- 
ing thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words', 
then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will 
cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, 
and feed thee with heritage of Jacob thy father', for 
the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." — Isa. 58, 13, 
14. 

"Hallow ye the Sabbath Day, as I commanded your 
fathers." — Jer. 22:17. 

"A holiday Sabbath is the ally of despotism, a Chris- 
tian Sabbath is the Holy Day of freedom." — Hallam. 

"The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all 
that day, even from such wordly employments and rec- 
reations as are lawful on other days; and spending the 
whole time in the public and private exercises of God's 
worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the 
work of necessity and mercy." — Shorter Catechism. 

THE first requirement in the fourth com- 
mandment is for the observance of the sa- 
cred duties for maintaining and promoting 
religious life, and the second requirement is 
rest. It is not, first rest, then second religion. First, 
it is "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." 
106 



How to Keep the Sabbath 107 

Next to that is, "Six days shalt thou labor and do all 
thy work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the 
Lord thy God, in it thou shalt not do any work." As 
the soul is superior to the body ; as duties to God are be- 
fore any other; as building character is before physical 
gratification, so the requirements of the Sabbath for 
spiritual refreshment take precedence to the require- 
ments of physical rest. Both are required and both are 
possible at the same time. The first purpose of the 
Sabbath is to worship God as our Creator, to Honor 
Him as our Savior, to keep in us a proper knowledge 
and Faith for our salvation, to refresh our spiritual life, 
to commune with our Lord. The work of the six days 
for making a living forbid this necessary communion 
and spiritual refreshment. By setting aside these duties 
we both have freedom of mind and release from annoy- 
ance, allowing us to rest and develop Christian life 
and character. There is rest in worship. When weary 
in body we attend to religious thoughts or a religious 
service we are refreshed in body. There is more rest 
in religious exercises than in dissipation, to the person 
in his normal condition. 

When we consider how to keep the Sabbath, there 
are many problems of conscience which each must solve 
for himself. There are "works of necessity," there are 
conditions and associations which enter in. These make 
the problem more difficult, but do not nullify the com- 
mand. The one essential to keep before us in defining 



108 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

what is permissible is its sacred character, which con- 
stitutes the Sabbath. "He blessed the Sabbath day and 
hallowed it." The only difference that distinguishes it 
from other days is that it is sacred time. It was made 
sacred for the purpose of protecting time for religious 
and moral development and rest. Jesus said, "The 
Sabbath was made for man." What made the Sab- 
bath? It was its sacred character. That is the char- 
acteristic which makes the name of Jehovah different 
from other persons, and which makes profane the care- 
less use of His name. There are sacred places and 
sacred sacraments and sacred book, the Bible. So the 
Sabbath differs from other days by reason of its sacred 
character. We are to "Remember the Sabbath day to 
keep it holy." "Hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be 
a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am 
the Lord your God." "I will teach you the differ- 
ence between the holy and profane." The Sabbath can- 
not be a holy day and a holiday. 

Learning to recognize the quality of sacredness in 
the Sabbath is the greater part of the solution of the 
question, how to keep the Sabbath? Children should be 
brought up through the formative period of life recog- 
nizing the sacredness of the day, thus making it differ- 
ent from the other six days of the week. 

It was no breach of sacredness of the day for Jesus 
to heal on the Sabbath those who were placed before 
Him. He taught on the Sabbath. There is both sacred 



How to Keep the Sabbath 109 

service, for promoting the Kingdom and rest belonging 
to the day. When deeds are done to make money, as 
the aim of study or labor, the sacred purposes of the 
day are set aside. So it is if any would seek amuse- 
ment, for that is out of harmony with the sacred char- 
acter that distinguishes it from other days. 

The questions that belong to our observance of the 
day are, where we go ? What we read and think about ? 
What we do ? When we decide where we go we have 
done much toward deciding how to keep the Sabbath. 
We can go to the house of God, or we can go to the 
place of amusement, or to places of society, or to the 
office or store for transaction of business or for carry- 
ing on secular affairs, or we can remain in our homes. 
We remember the Sabbath and keep it by deciding 
where we go; and into what kind of surroundings we 
place ourselves. We have moral and spiritual uplift, or 
we have none of this according to whether we place 
ourselves where religious thoughts come or where world- 
ly, trivial reflections are forced upon us. If we go to 
the sporting place we have no thought of engaging in 
religious devotion. 

What we read has much to do with Sabbath keeping. 
There are books and papers which are not in harmony 
with the sacred character of the day. But we are for- 
tunate in having a literature rich in elevating thought. 
The best book is the Bible. There are no stories for 
children so attractive or so well adapted for them as 



HO Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

the stories of the Bible, and they are true, and develop 
in the lives of youthful readers the noble qualities of 
heart and conscience. The best history, the choicest 
poems, the most inspiring songs are religious. If we 
do not read the Bible on the Sabbath we are too busy 
with secular affairs to read it on Monday or Tuesday 
or any day of the week. On the other hand the world 
is full of trivial literature. Never before was there so 
much trifling reading flaunting their pages before us in 
such a way on Sabbath days as to crowd out sacred, 
devotional reading. The Sunday newspaper on the one 
hand, and, on the other, pages that will enrich the soul, 
that will abide and build noble qualities. These are 
before us ; what we choose to read will determine 
how we observe the Sabbath. We should choose our 
reading in keeping with the sacred character of the day. 
We cannot keep a holy Sabbath by reading unholy lit- 
erature. 

In many homes it is the custom for the parents and 
children on Sabbath afternoons to read the Bible verse 
about, or some other religious reading. Those who 
have tried it would not exchange this valuable help in 
Christian nurture and pleasant Sabbath associations 
for all the base ball games and shows and holiday out- 
ings that could be provided. In this way the men and 
women who have enriched the world have been brought 
up. They who do not keep the Sabbath as a sacred 
day, not those who do, say that the day spent in the 



How to Keep the Sabbath 1 1 1 

quiet of rest and religious reflection would be tiresome. 

We need to take time for meditation on the higher 
sentiments of life on the Sabbath. The most inspiring 
thoughts of which we are capable are not thoughts of 
pleasure and fashion and worldly pursuits; the most 
inspiring reflections of which we are capable are 
thoughts of our responsibility to God, of our relations 
with God our Father and Savior, of the plan of salva- 
tion, of Faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sin, of 
our adoption and inheritance because of what Jesus 
Christ has purchased for us, of earthly peace and heav- 
enly joy that has been prepared for them that love Him. 
The Sunday newspaper or love stories have nothing to 
be compared with the reflections on these subjects. The 
one makes the soul rich in Faith, love and repentance; 
the other impoverishes the soul. The one creates a 
hungering and thirsting after righteousness; the other 
unfits the spiritual nature, by quenching the Holy 
Spirit, from responding to impressions belonging to the 
higher motives of life. 

A man had a garden in which the growth of vege- 
tables was large and productive. Close by another 
garden produced dwindling stalks of corn a few inches 
high, without vitality sufficient to yield anything. The 
owner of the gardens said one of the gardens is as fer- 
tile and as well irrigated as the other. But weeds over- 
shadowed the plants in one and prevented the soil and 
sunshine from giving it the vitalizing growth. This 



112 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

illustrates how some have a flourishing spiritual life, 
while others have not spiritual vitality sufficient to pro- 
duce fruits for the kingdom. It is because one places 
himself where the sacred reflections of the divine Spirit 
enrich the soul, while the other person, by trifling 
thoughts and worldly surroundings in which he places 
himself, prevents the nobler thoughts from reaching 
and vitalizing his spiritual nature. There is no growth 
in spiritual life where there is no Sabbath that brings 
the mind and heart to reflect upon the sacred truths 
of Scripture. God gave us the Sabbath because we 
needed release from the duties of earning a living, to 
be free to reflect upon the higher truths of religion. 
That is "remembering the Sabbath day to keep it holy." 
Human nature is prone to follow the baser thoughts 
and motives even on the Sabbath day. "Not finding 
our own pleasure, nor speaking our own words," refer- 
red to in Isaiah 58:13, means that on His holy day we 
are to turn aside from the pleasures that the carnal 
nature prefers, and from the conversation we would 
naturally choose, to the thoughts and conversation 
proper for the sacred Sabbath. If we talk about pleas- 
ure and fashion and business and society we cannot 
reflect upon the sacred truths intended for the Sabbath. 
If we engage in conversation, reading or employments 
which violate the fourth commandment, we quench the 
Holy Spirit from our lives. On the other hand, those 
who engage in reading, thought and religious service 



How to Keep the Sabbath 113 

in keeping with the sacred day, are built up in Faith, 
love and obedience. That is the reason all have re- 
ported that, in their observation, those who use the Sab- 
bath as a holiday or work day do not grow in the 
Christian life, while Sabbath keepers resist unbelief and 
gcdlessness. 

Some ask if it is not proper to go on joy rides or visit 
on the Sabbath when they work during the six days of 
the week, and Sunday is the only time they have for 
such pastimes. Each one should carefuly weigh his 
own motives and consult his needs with a good con- 
science, on this subject. Some facts bear upon this sub- 
ject which we should keep in mind. The salvation of 
the soul is the highest necessity. The health of the 
moral and spiritual life is more important than the 
health of the body. Duties intended for the Sabbath are 
as important as the duties of any other day of the week. 
We may need rest and relaxation, but we may need 
spiritual refreshment more. Our preference is no more 
the safe law in this than in any other duty that calls 
for our time and effort. "What will it profit a man if 
he gain the whole world and lose his soul?" If employ- 
ing men to labor on the Sabbath increases dividends but 
causes the men to become demoralized in character it is 
wrong. When Sunday outings give physical satisfac- 
tion but weakens Christian character they are wrong; 
for character is more important than our pleasure. But 
pleasure is not necessarily against character building. If 



114 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

an outing on the Sabbath tends to physical upbuilding 
and does not detract from spiritual development it is 
right. 

The worth of what has been said is illustrated by the 
life of a man, who lived a number of years ago in Vir- 
ginia. He was receiving a small salary and was recom- 
mended by his pastor for a position as local railway 
agent. The young man knew nothing of it until he 
received the appointment at a salary nearly three times 
the amount he had been receiving. After accepting the 
new work, but before beginning it, he learned that he 
would be required to work on Sunday. He at once 
wrote to the railway company that because of Sunday- 
work required he could not take the position. The pas- 
tor, learning of what he had done, commended him 
highly for the stand he had taken. The developments 
of later years make known what the right course is in 
such Sunday problems. That young man, today, is the 
president of the largest manufacturing plants in the city, 
whose product has a nation wide reputation. His in- 
fluence is great, and he has not lost because he refused 
Sunday work. His character has become enriched as 
it could not had he accepted the Sunday labor. He is 
an elder in a Presbyterian church and is a most earnest 
and useful Christian business man. He has expressed 
himself that he has seen the benefits in his life from 
not accepting the Sunday work in the trying time, in 
his early years. 



How to Keep the Sabbath 115 

We do not need to go far to find many, who, like this 
man, have stood against attractive inducements for Sab- 
bath breaking, and have become strong tnd useful 
Christian characters because of their stand. On the 
other hand, we fear that many have yielded to the temp- 
tation to violate the Sabbath, and have destroyed their 
Christian life, thereby. Some may be richer in purse 
because they have been heedless of the sacred Sabbath, 
but they are poorer in Faith. And it is doubtful, if in 
the end, they are richer in purse. 



CHAPTER IX 

CHANGE OF THE SABBATH FROM THE SEVENTH TO 
THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK. 

"On the first day of the week {Greek, First of the 
Sabbaths) cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was 
yet dark, unto the sepulchre." — John 20:1. 

"We keep the first day of the week as the Sabbath, 
instead of the seventh, because our Lord arose from the 
dead on that day." — Tertullian about 195 A. D. 

THE first day of the week has been observed 
as the Sabbath since the resurrection of 
Christ, by the Christian people generally. 
Some have questioned the Divine sanction 
and authority for this change, from the seventh to the 
first day of the week. The belief generally is, thav 
man's redemption and salvation from sin, completed 
at the resurrection of Christ, is now the foremost theme 
in our worship and religious service, as the work of 
creation was the theme that called for man's devotion 
chiefly in the former dispensation ; "a new heaven and 
a new earth," ushered in by the resurrection of Christ 
on the first day of the week, which we celebrate; and 
that this was appointed to us by Divine authority. 
The Bible authority for the Sabbath on the first day 
116 



Change of the Sabbath 117 

of the week, from the resurrection of Christ, is distinct. 
The Holy Spirit has called the first day of the week 
"the Sabbath" each time it is referred to in the Scrip- 
tures since the resurrection of Christ. This fact is not 
generally known or recognized. But the first day of 
the week is called "Sabbath," in the Scriptures, by the 
same Greek word which refers to the seventh day of the 
week before the resurrection. The reading in Matt. 
28:1 is "In the end of the Sabbath (the Old Testa- 
ment Sabbath) as it began to dawn toward the first of 
the Sabbaths, (translated, first day of the week, but 
the word is the same as was used for the day before,) 
came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to the 
sepulchre." 

The first day of the week is called the Sabbath, also, 
by the Gospel of Mark. In Mark 16:1, 2 we read, 
"When the Sabbath (Old Testament Sabbath) was past 
Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, and 
Salome, had brought sweet spices, that they might 
come and annoint Him. And very early in the morn- 
ing the first day of the week (the first of the Sabbaths, 
it is in the Greek,) they come to the tomb." In the 
ninth verse of the same chapter Mark again calls the 
first day of the week Sabbath. "When Jesus was risen 
early the first day of the week (Sabbath, it is in the 
Greek.) He appeared first to Mary Magdalene." 
The words here are "prote sabbatou," meaning, the 
very first Sabbath. Luke calls the first day of the week 



Ii8 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

the Sabbath in the similar account in Luke 24:1, and 
John 20:1. Also in the same chapter 19th verse we 
read, "The same day at evening, being the first of the 
Sabbaths, (translated, 'first day of the week,') . .came 
Jesus and stood in the midst." 

The Christians with Paul worshiped at Troas on the 
Sabbath, the first day of the week. Acts 20:7. The 
Christians at Gallatia and Corinth observed the first day 
of the week as the Sabbath according to 1 Cor. 16:1, 2. 
"As I have given order to the churches of Gallatia, even 
so do ye. Upon the first day of the week (Greek Sab- 
baton) let every one of you lay in store as God hath 
prospered him." 

John about the year 96 A. D. wrote Rev. 1:10, "I 
was in the spirit on the Lord's Day," which evidently 
refers to the Christian Sabbath. Jesus met with His dis- 
ciples and others on the Christian Sabbath, the first day 
of the week. "After eight days His disciples were 
within, and Thomas with them; then came Jesus, the 
doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, 
Peace be unto you." On the day of Pentecost, fifty 
days after the resurrection, being another Christian Sab- 
bath, the apostles were assembled. "All with one ac- 
cord in one place" the Holy Ghost was given to them 
in power. Acts 2:1. Jesus met with His apostles 
after His resurrection forty days, "And speaking of the 
things pertaining to the kingdom of God." It is not 
improbable that then and there He established with 



Change of the Sabbath 1 19 

them the policy that henceforth they should use the day 
which memorialized the work of finished redemption, 
the first day of the week, as their Sabbath, and the day 
on which He met with them, not the Jewish Sabbath, 
and the day which celebrated a new theme of worship, 
our salvation through the crucified and resurrected 
Lord. For we find the early Christians referring to 
that day. Through the history of the church from that 
time reference is made to the first day of the week as 
the Sabbath. Today we find it almost universally ob- 
served. Where did it come from? There would be 
no motive in changing it without Divine authority. It 
is not a matter of any consequence, only, that all should 
observe the same day. And the Christian dispensation 
should honor the work of Christ, who was both Creator 
and Savior. 

Ignatius, who was born about A. D. 30 and died 
about 100 A. D., and who lived with the Apostle John 
many years, wrote of "Living in the observance of the 
Lord's Day, on which our life has sprung up again by 
Him." 

Barnabas, the Alexandrian Jew, wrote about the year 
100 A. D. in the fifteenth chapter of his epistle, "Where- 
fore we keep the eighth day with joyfulness of heart, 
the day on which Jesus rose again from the dead." 

Justin Martyr, a thoroughly Christian authority, 
flourished about 140 A. D., born no A. D., wrote in 
First Apology, Chap. 67, on "Weekly Worship of 



120 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

Christians." "On the day called Sunday all who live in 
the cities or in the country gather together to one place, 
and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the 
prophets are read as long as time permits." Then he 
describes their religious services in observing the Lord's 
Supper, "offerings were made for the poor, the sick, the 
stranger, Christians were directed what to do upon 
the first day of the week, the Christian Sabbath," I Cor. 
16:2. He afterwards assigns reasons why it is on Sun- 
day. "Sunday is the day on which we all hold our 
common assembly. For it is the first day, on which 
God dispelled the darkness and the original state of 
things and formed the world, and because Jesus Christ 
our Savior rose from the dead upon it. . . Having 
appeared to His apostles and disciples, He taught them 
these things, which we have submitted to you also for 
your consideration." Since he taught them of the 
weekly day of rest and worship on the first day of the 
week for on that day "Jesus Christ our Savior rose 
from the dead," it is a strong intimation that Jesus 
taught His disciples that the first day of the week is 
the Sabbath when He met with them after the resur- 
rection. 

The Bryennios manuscript written about 120 A. D., 
entitled "The Lord's Teachings through the Twelve 
Apostles to the Nations," Chapter 14 says, "But every 
Lord's Day, do ye gather yourselves together, and break 
bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed 



Change of the Sabbath 121 

your transgressions." 

Origen, who was born 186 A. D., writes that it is 
one of the marks of a perfect Christian to keep the 
Lord's Day. He adds, "Let us see what ought to be 
for a Christian in the observance of the Sabbath. On 
the Sabbath day, nothing of all the actions of the 
world ought to be wrought. If, then, you cease from 
all secular works and carry on nothing worldly, but oc- 
cupy yourself with spiritual works, go to church, lend 
your ear to the Divine lessons and homilies, and think 
of heavenly things, exercise care for the future life, have 
before your eyes the judgment to come, look not to the 
present and visible things, but to the invisible future — 
this is the observance of Christian Sabbath." Homily 
23 on Numbers. 

The Christian Sabbath on the first day of the week, 
or the Lord's Day has been referred to in the writ- 
ings, also, of Tertullian in the 2nd century; Felix A. 
D. 210; Cyprian A. D. 253; Commodian 290 A. D. ; 
Peter, Bishop of Alexandria A. D. 300, wrote "We 
keep the Lord's Day as a day of joy, because of Him 
who rose thereon." These, it will be observed, lived 
before Constantine became a Christian Emperor and 
made Sunday laws. It has been advocated that the 
Sabbath was changed by Constantine making Sunday 
laws just before 325 A. D. But these show that the 
Sunday laws enacted by the first Christian Emperor, 
were only in harmony with what the Christian people 



122 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

were observing, already. He would have no motive for 
changing the day out of the time observed by the Chris- 
tian people. The Council of Nicea, A. D. 325, refer 
to Sunday as the day for Christian worship as a settled 
fact. 

It should be observed that the Jews kept the seventh 
day as their Sabbath. The apostles, in going about en- 
tered into their synagogues and many references are 
extant of their Sabbath after the resurrection of Christ. 
These references have, no doubt, led many to believe 
that the Christians observed that day, as their Sabbath. 

The time in which the seventh of rest is sacredly ob- 
served as a time for rest and worship is not important 
enough for this much space, was it not that many are 
unsettled in their convictions on this subject. Christian 
people in distant parts of the world are keeping both 
Saturday and Sabbath day, and the Lord honors all of 
them. When the Christian people of Australia are en- 
gaged in their public worship at 11 o'clock Sabbath 
morning, the Christian people of California are enter- 
ing upon their secular pursuits on Monday morning. 
And when the Christians of Alaska are in the midst of 
their public worship from eleven to twelve o'clock Sab- 
bath, the Christian people of Japan and the Philippines 
are purchasing their supplies for Sabbath on Saturday 
afternoon at four or five o'clock. To say that a certain 
period of time has been made sacred by the Almighty, 
which must be "the seventh day," when Christians must 



Change of the Sabbath 123 

observe their seventh of rest and worship, is unreason- 
able. The first day of the week comes every seventh 
day. The Divine appointment carries a sacred time 
and that time one seventh of the time. Fair minds and 
Christian charity should make it the same time, in each 
community, for all. 

We are assured by those who have studied the sub- 
ject carefully, that the day of the week for observing 
the Sabbath has been changed different times. Each 
year the people of God were required by Divine ap- 
pointment, to observe the Sabbath at the time appointed 
for the annual feasts, which were definitely fixed by the 
day of the month, and the month by the new moon. 
This would require the shifting of the Sabbath one day, 
or two Sabbaths in succession at times, in the observance 
of these feasts as God appointed. All the people of God 
observed and recognized the set time of these feasts of 
the Passover, on the fourteenth day of the first month; 
the feast of Pentecost with its sacred Sabbath just 
seven weeks after Passover. The seventh new moon, 
or feast of Trumpets had to be observed on the fixed 
date of the eighth and fifteenth of the seventh month, 
and "the first day shall be a Sabbath and the eighth 
day shall be a Sabbath." The fifteenth of Abib, the 
day on which the Israelites went out of Egypt, was to 
be a Sabbath and was prominently recognized, so that 
the Sabbath could universally be made to conform to 
that date. 



124 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

During these feasts seven Sabbaths were to be ob- 
served — two at Passover, one at Pentecost, one at the 
feast of Trumpets, one on the day of Atonement and 
two at the feast of Tabernacles. 

The Sabbaths fixed, as above named, would require 
change of the day of the iveek to conform with the new 
moon or immovable day of the month. The phases of 
the moon defined the months, in those days. The 
month has varied with peoples and times. The time 
of the feasts was fixed with the new and full moon, 
which does not conform with the time of the seven days 
of the week. Some of the passages of Scripture which 
bring out these facts follow: 

Lev. 23 134, 39. "Speak unto the children of Israel, 
saying, the fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be 
the feast of Tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord. 
Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when 
ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep 
a feast unto the Lord seven days; on the first day shall 
be a Sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a Sab- 
bath." Lev. 23:5-8. "In the fourteenth day of the 
first month at even is the Lord's Passover. And on 
the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of un- 
leavened bread. In the first day ye shall have a holy 
convocation ; ye shall do no servile work therein. But 
ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord 
seven days ; in the seventh day is an holy convovation ; 
ye shall do no servile work therein." Lev. 16:29-31. 



Change of the Sabbath 125 

"This shall be a statute forever unto you; that in the 
seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall 
afflict your souls and do no work at all, for on that 
day the priest shall make an atonement for you. It 
shall be a Sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict 
your souls, by a statute forever." Ps. 81 :3. "Blow up 
the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on 
our solemn feast day." 

If the day for observing the Sabbath has been 
changed, it is vain to say that the observance of Satur- 
day or what we now call the seventh day of the week 
is more acceptable than the first day, only because the 
commandment says, "six days shalt thou labor and do 
all thy work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath." The 
first day of the week is as much the "seventh day," of 
the commandment as the day now called Saturday. 
The observance of one day in seven, as a Sabbath is the 
requirement, and the Lord has honored the people who 
have used the first day of the week, the day which is 
commonly observed by Christian people, and which rep- 
resents the resurrected Lord, the completed work of 
salvation as well as the work of creation, as much or 
more than He has honored those who oppose their day 
of worship and contend that those who are so observing 
the first day of the week are doing wrong. The chief 
virtue is to observe the custom of the people and unite 
in observing the same day as the day of rest and wor- 
ship. 



CHAPTER X 

PLANS OF WORK 

"Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only." — 
James i 123. 

TOO much stress can not be placed on doing 
those things that bring results. We have 
been content to talk about what ought to be 
done instead of doing the work requisite for 
repairing the evident wrong. If half the effort which 
has been made in studying conditions and passing reso- 
lutions on existing wrongs, had been used in wisely di- 
rected plans for overcoming the evils, the Sabbath would 
not be on the decline. Resolutions against Sabbath 
desecration accomplish nothing unless they are sent 
where they aid in carrying out a plan for protecting the 
Sabbath. We know better than we do. Those who 
are employing Sunday labor would like to have the pub- 
lic help them to give the employees their Sunday rest; 
the Sunday toilers would like to have a plan brought 
about for their rest on that day; the Christian people 
regret to see the Sabbath so desecrated; but all the 
while conditions are growing worse because necessary 
actions are not put into operation to stop the Sunday 
126 



Plans of Work 127 

labor. We have not studied that phase of the work 
sufficiently. This is one place where actions speak 
louder than words. 

An important part of the work, in bringing results, 
is interviewing employers of Sunday labor and others 
in position to act. It is in the power of one man, often, 
to release hundreds of persons from Sunday work. He 
usually needs a leader in Sabbath observance work to 
prepare public sentiment and to carry through the plan. 
Managers nearly always say that Sunday work and 
business have been reduced to the minimum. But this is 
no evidence, as facts have proved, that much can not be 
done. When the people are ready to act the manager 
will be willing to adopt a new policy and make a 
sweeping reduction in Sunday business. 

Public Utilities Commissions, whose office is located 
at the state capitols, The Federal Commission on In- 
dustrial Relations, committees in legislatures and Con- 
gress, have in their power to establish measures for re- 
ducing or increasing Sunday labor and traffic. Recom- 
mendations, resolutions and petitions secured in public 
meetings, by any kind of vote, raising the hand, "Aye" 
or "No" vote or signatures and sent to them will mean 
much. Following is a copy of a recommendation to the 
Public Utilities Commission of a state, which would be 
effectual : 

"To the Public Utilities Commission, Dear Sir — Be- 
lieving that Sunday labor should not be required be- 



128 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

yond that which is absolutely necessary; that each per- 
son is entitled to a day of rest each week, and an op- 
portunity for religious services on the Sabbath; that 
railway and many other forms of public service is 
transacted on Sunday far beyond that which is neces- 
sary, to the certain physical, moral and spiritual detri- 
ment of those employed; that it is breaking down 
proper uses of the Sabbath, and, in turn is operating 
against the welfare of the people. We respectfully 
urge you to give most favorable consideration and action 
toward eliminating Sunday and seven-day labor, so far 
as possible, in all forms of public service." 

Utilities Commissions have required railway com- 
panies to put on Sunday trains against the will of the 
companies, because they were not aware that public sen- 
timent did not require it; and they have power to re- 
duce Sunday labor and traffic, if the sentiment of the 
people will so indicate. 

The public telephone is one form of Sunday labor 
that cari be greatly reduced. Many towns have the 
service for certain hours, only on the Lord's Day, while 
other towns, with no more need, have the service con- 
tinued throughout the day. Necessary calls can be 
taken care of the same as emergency calls at night, if 
such emergencies should arise. Ample opportunity for 
ordinary needs if Sunday service on the telephone can 
be had from an hour in the forenoon and an hour in 
the afternoon. For the same has been done by as in- 



Plans of Work 1 29 

dustrious people as any that may call for it throughout 
the Sabbath. The public Sunday telephone is a Sab- 
bath breaker. It promotes godless uses of the Sabbath, 
requires people to labor so that they can not attend to 
religious duties, it disturbs the quiet of those who would 
keep the Sabbath, it educates the public, old and young, 
to disregard the day of rest. The excuse that the doctor 
might be needed on the Sabbath is only a pretense. 
Emergency calls can be arranged for. 

Sunday mail is likewise, the occasion of much need- 
less labor on that day. Before the post offices were 
closed in cities of the the first and second class on the 
Sabbath day, children crowded into the post offices 
throughout the country, after Sunday-school. Three 
and four or more members of a family often called at 
the carriers' windows for mail. The youth were edu- 
cated, thereby, to disregard the Sabbath. And when 
business letters and packages were received it promoted 
secular affairs on the Lord's Day. It was breaking 
down the day of rest. Even yet, in towns of the sec- 
ond and third class, in many places, the same downward 
drift continues. The facts have shown that better 
moral conditions prevail with a closed post office on the 
day of rest, and it gives many freedom from labor on 
that day. A petition signed by some of the people, with 
a conference with the postmaster, and sent to the Post 
Office Department at Washington, will remedy this 
evil. For the Department are desirous of abandoning 



130 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

the practice of keeping their places of business open on 
the Sabbath wherever possible. The form of petition 
which has been used for Sunday closing of post offices 
is like the following: 

"To the Post Office Department, Washington, D. C. 
Dear Sirs: — Whereas Sunday closing of post offices has 
proved a satisfactory method of handling of the mails, 
in many places; that no conditions seem to require Sun- 
day mail service here more than elsewhere; that visit- 
ing the post office on Sunday is from habit, largely, not 
from necessity. Therefore, we respectfully petition for 
Sunday closing of the post office of " 

The opening of stores on the Sabbath is a practice 
that is needless, and is breaking down the day of rest 
and worship in many places. Most families do not 
patronize stores for anything on the Sabbath, and those 
that do not, flourish as well as those who do. The Sun- 
day store is not a necessity, and its patronage breaks 
down the Christian life, both of the customer and the 
merchant. Drug stores are among the number that 
transgress. Scarcely any of the sales of a drug store 
on the Sabbath are for necessary medicines. Many ar- 
rangements can be made for securing what any may 
regard as necessary without keeping the store open 
through the Sabbath. It may, if necessary, be open 
for a short time. Druggists' clerks work from eight 
o'clock in the morning till ten in the evening, often, 
seven days in the week. Druggists, themselves, know 



Plans of Work 131 

the wrongs of a Sunday drug store, and passed resolu- 
tions against it at their national convention. 

The facts have shown that those who engage in Sun- 
day baseball do not develop in the Christian life. It 
is worth a consideration as to whether those who are in 
any way participating in that and similar sports on the 
Lord's Day, are active in the work of the church. The 
most practical way of overcoming Sunday sports is by 
organizing teams with Christian young men in them, 
and with rules that no playing shall be engaged in on 
Sunday. This subject needs careful study, for many 
have not observed its relation to the proper use of the 
Sabbath nor the tendencies that Sunday sports have in 
leading into bad associations and demoralized life. 

The closing of public gaming rooms has saved many 
young men from a worthless life, and their continuance, 
especially on the Sabbath, is a menace to the youth in 
any city or town. Their suppression may be easily 
brought about by a careful effort. An ordinance is 
the remedy. Almost any council can be persuaded to 
adopt such an ordinance if a proper effort is made for 
securing a petition. Following is a form for such an 
ordinance: 

"An ordinance forbidding keeping open to the pub- 
lic on Sunday for playing games with admission fee or 
wager. Be it enacted by the council of the city . . 
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or association 
to require or permit any person in his or its employ, to 



132 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

keep open any room, hall or tent, on Sunday between 
the hours of twelve o'clock Saturday night and twelve 
o'clock Sunday night for the playing of billiards, 
pool, cards or any game of chance, where admission fee 
is charged thereto or any fee or wager is to be paid in 
connection with such games, within the incorporated 
limits of this city. Any person violating the provisions 
of this act shall be fined, upon conviction, in any sum, 
not less than ten dollars nor more than one hundred 
dollars for each offense." A similar form may be used 
for preventing Sunday shows of any kind. The title 
should include in its statement all that is included in 
the ordinance. 

All this requires a special work and special workers 
to bring results. And that means that support of Sab- 
bath defense is essential. Public meetings on this sub- 
ject must be held. Agitation and education is needed. 
We can never save the Sabbath by preaching the Gospel, 
only. This work must go with the Gospel, and must 
be done by special workers. The obedience or dis- 
obedience of the Sabbath has become a very light mat- 
ter with many. The fact that when our population 
has increased 27 per cent, in the last decade Sunday 
labor has increased 58 per cent, bids us consider if this 
work is well done. And while our population and 
Sunday labor have increased so rapidly, Sunday sports 
have increased more rapidly. 

Petition and recommendation properly used is the 



Plans of Work 133 

remedy. By this method we let our light shine. 
Greedy and unscrupulous persons petition strongly for 
measures to Utilities Commissions and legislative com- 
mittees, but the good people remain silent, and the 
measures are adopted which break down the Sabbath. 
One petition with a clear statement of moral worth in 
it will have more weight than many petitions for a 
Sabbath desecrating measure. But, too often, the one 
petition for moral defense is not presented, and the 
legislators feel that they are compelled to grant the 
measure. There is no person who feels it his duty and 
knows how to present the measure for righteousness, 
while many are employed for personal gain and pleasure 
seeking to urge unjust measures. 

The petition of four hundred and fifty locomotive 
engineers of the New York Central Railway to Mr. 
W. H. Vanderbilt, some years ago, asking for Sunday 
rest, is worthy of study. "We have borne this griev- 
ance of Sunday labor patiently, hoping that every suc- 
ceeding year it would decrease. But after long and 
weary service we do not see any signs of relief, and we 
are forced to come to you with our trouble, and most 
respectfully ask you to relieve us. Our objections to 
Sunday labor are these: First — This never-ending 
labor ruins our health and prematurely makes us feel 
worn out, like old men, and we are sensible of our in- 
ability to perform our duty as well. Second — The 
custom of all civilized countries, as well as laws, human 



134 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

and Divine, recognize Sunday as a day of rest and re- 
cuperation; and, notwithstanding intervals of rest 
might be arranged for us on other days than Sunday, 
we feel that by so doing we would be forced to ex- 
clude ourselves from all church, family and social priv- 
ileges that other citizens enjoy. Third — Nearly all 
of the undersigned have children that they desire to 
have education in everything that will tend to make 
them good men and women, and we can not help but 
see that our example in ignoring the Sabbath day has a 
very demoralizing influence upon them. Fourth — We 
believe the best interests of the company we serve, as 
well as ours, will be promoted thereby. We have 
watched this matter for the past twenty years. We 
have seen it grow from its infancy until it has arrived 
at its present gigantic proportions, from one train on the 
Sabbath until now we have about thirty each way; and 
we do not hesitate in saying that we can do as much 
work in six days, with the seventh for rest, as is now 
done. The question might arise, if traffic is suspended 
twenty-four hours will not the company lose one-seventh 
of its profits? In answer, we pledge our experience, 
health and strength that at the end of the year our em- 
ployers will not lose one cent. But on the contrary, 
will be gainers financially. Our reasons are these; at 
present, the duties of your locomotive engineers are in- 
cessant, day after day, night succeeding night, Sunday 
and all, rain or shine, with all the fearful inclemencies 



Plans of Work 135 

of a rigorous winter to contend with. The great strain 
of both mental and physical faculties thus constantly 
employed, has a tendency in time to impair the requisites 
so necessary to make a good engineer. Troubled in 
mind, jaded and worn out in body, the engineer can 
not give his duties the attention they should have in 
order to best advantage his employers' interests. We 
venture to say that nowhere on this broad continent, 
in any branch of business or traffic, can be found any 
class in the same position as railroad men. They are 
severed from associations that all hold most dear, de- 
barred from the opportunity of worship, that tribute 
man owes to his God; witnessing all those pleasures 
accorded to others, which are the only oases in the 
deserts of this life, and with no prospect of relief. We 
ask you to aid us. Give us the Sabbath for rest after 
our week of laborious duties, and we pledge you that 
with a system invigorated by a season of repose and a 
brain eased and cleared by hours of relaxation, we can 
go to work with more energy, more vital and physical 
force, and can and will accomplish more work, and do 
it better, if possible, in six days than we do now in 
seven. We can give you ten days in six if you require 
it, if we can only look forward to a certain period of 
rest. In conclusion, we hope and trust that in conjunc- 
tion with other gentlemen of trunk lines leading to the 
seaboard, you will be able to accomplish something that 
will ameliorate our condition." 



136 Obligations to the Day of Rest and Worship 

Organizations in the United States which have been 
formed for Sabbath defense exclusively, are: The 
Lord's Day Alliance of the United States, with its 
auxiliaries; Lord's Day League of New England; The 
New York Sabbath Committee; The Woman's Na- 
tional Sabbath Alliance; The New York State Sab- 
bath Association; Wisconsin Sunday Rest Day Asso- 
ciation; Northwest Sabbath Association. Many have 
been rescued from the demoralization of Sunday work 
and Sabbath desecration and are in the Christian life 
and service today, by these organizations. No other 
efforts have brought more into the Christian life, from 
what has been put into them, than these organizations, 
which the Head of the Church has greatly honored by 
the seal of His power. Scattered throughout this coun- 
try are workers in the church, who have been rescued 
from Sunday labor and Sabbath desecration by the field 
workers in these organizations. There are no better 
missionary enterprises for the saving of souls, as well as 
bodies, for the home life and good citizenship, than 
these Sabbath organizations. 



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